The pandemic has changed a lot of things for the majority of us. Being confined to our homes for months and barred from doing what we normally do may be psychologically and emotionally draining.
On the other hand, it has caused us to view things from a new perspective. We are generally more appreciative of the things we used to take for granted.
As the months passed, we realized that we took many things—and people—for granted. It’s a shame it took a pandemic to let us understand how fortunate we are. Most of the time, we don’t realize how valuable something is until it’s gone.
You have everything it takes within you right now. Your journey to somewhere begins inside. Gratitude is a gift that goes on giving, and it may bring you joy.
Meanwhile, taking life for granted might sap that delight. You lose your sense of strength and purpose.
You no longer pause to smell the flowers. You don’t even bother looking at them. You let go of the little details, and the rest follows.
What Does Take Things For Granted Mean?
Take for granted – to fail to appreciate something or someone.
Taking something or someone for granted fails to appreciate something or someone as much as you should because you assume it will always be the same or available.
To pay little attention to or underestimate the worth of something or someone, particularly after it has passed away.
To treat something or someone carelessly or indifferently, without regard for its inherent worth.
To “take for granted” is to undervalue that person or thing.
Why You Should Never Take Things For Granted?
What we focus on and value affects our whole way of living.
It’s no surprise that thankful individuals are happy in life. There’s a science to gratitude. Living a happy life is a choice.
Similarly, nothing poisons our lives more than taking them for granted.
Show those who really matter how much you value them, not just words but action.
We put a lot of thinking into what we wear, how much money we create, what sort of new object to purchase in a week, and if we should invest our money on a friend’s trading platform and spend a few dollars on this or that. How often do we toss and turn in our sleep, worrying about little matters?
And yet, how frequently do we pause to consider the things that matter most? What about our loved ones? What about our health? What about our lives? In my experience, we go about our days taking them for granted and expect them until they aren’t.
Then it starts to ache.
For example, we are concerned about the rain. We argue over nonsense. We spend an hour attempting to get our clothing exactly perfect.
We spent more time debating which camera to buy with a friend than we did thinking about how to properly adore our loved ones.
We pass up an opportunity to visit an old buddy, promising ourselves that “next time.” We give ourselves more reasons not to do that thing.
I’ve seen how it goes. It’s happened to my family members, and I’ve seen it happen to other families in the ER and on the road.
Whatever excuses you use to avoid enjoying your existence, remember this—there will not always be the next time! This means you need to focus and take action today!
It’s All About How We View Things
Unhappiness occurs when we bury ourselves so deeply in what doesn’t important, worrying about little matters, it is the beauty of existence, the gift of just being alive, and the amazing blessing of the people we love that escapes us.
By neglecting life’s greatest delights in favor of life’s constant diversions, we blind ourselves to life’s greatest joys.
In the end, everything comes down to perspective. How you see your own life and the world influences how you feel about it.
Your thoughts become your reality, and this is what matters the most.
Everything we hear is subjective, not factual. Everything we experience is a perspective, not reality… A successful life takes very little; it all begins inside yourself, in your way of thinking.
Don’t Take Something For Granted: Focus On What Matters
The richness with which you experience life is determined by the richness of what you concentrate on.
Those items described above may not merit our full attention, but most of us do. Give them your full attention.
A life focused on what you have to be grateful for, the people you love, the beauty of nature, the pleasure of growing, being strong in the face of suffering and pain, and overall appreciating the tremendously wonderful tapestry that you are weaving every day with every thought, word, and deed — that is a life made better by a higher focus.
Life is difficult, and the journey is long, but when we concentrate on such lofty goals, we are much more prepared to meet hardship than someone whose head has gotten saturated with unnecessary fluff.
While most individuals live in the shadow of ingratitude, your life is guided by the illuminating light of gratitude.
When we choose to be appreciative instead of taking things at face value, things begin to stack up in good ways.
When we start living on purpose, when we value the breaths we take, when we stop taking everything great for granted—only then, and only then, will we be able to discover pleasure in the now, rather than simply a mental image of someday.
Because happiness is not something, you seek. It is something you develop inside yourself.
Final Thoughts
Today is a good day for you. Rather than taking things for granted, practice thankfulness. You will then have everything you need.
That’s when life happens—when you wake up feeling good about yourself because you realize what you have and what it took to get there.
The world will continue to turn. But if you take a moment to glance around every now and then, you will notice all you have and focus on your own story.
We get blinded by our aims and aspirations in pursuing fame, riches, and success.
We’re so centered on what we want that we forget to appreciate what we already have. Most of us fail to appreciate that the things we take for granted may just be a dream for others.
