not your shortcomings.

i wrote this on my journal few days ago in class. 

And today, i stumbled upon a caption that i saw on an instagram post that made me question myself, am i being grateful for the things i have?

The caption goes like this:

"There are days I wish for a lot of things; wishes that are impractical, wishes that are poignant. There are wishes i wished i never made, and there are wishes i wish every year on every glowing candle on my birthday cake. But ultimately, i think about all the underserving gifts I'm blessed with in my life that are probably only fervent wishes of other people who are not as fortunate, and then i would wish for nothing at all."

I think the most overlooked trait we have (in us humans) is our inability to appreciate and be grateful for the things we are blessed with. We're oblivious to the things around us, and we're constantly too busy to even notice anything. If we could all just stop in our tracks to take a blind bit of notice, to look, to breathe, to feel - i'm sure we would realise that we've lost touch with many things and people around us. Maybe it's also time we need to realise that we are all too caught up with our own world.

Having said that, i too, have complained many many times about life, felt like i've been given the worst life on earth, and cried (maybe) too many times over life. But little did i realise that each time i complain about my life, someone else out there in the world is wishing to have mine. And each time i complain about having to eat "tasteless" or "gross" food, someone else there is dying of hunger. And each time i cry over my so-called "sad" life, someone else is just praying for another second to live.

I know, comparions are endless - and yes, there are times when i can't help but to compare myself with people who are more well off and people who are more successful than me. Yet, i barely compare my life with those who are less fortunate than me.

I think most of us are superficial, and i wouldn't say that i'm not either. There are many times when i whine about not being born into a wealthy family, not being born with a silver spoon, not having wealthy parents, (blah blah blah). All i had in mind was - If i had a wealthy family, i could've done so-and-so, been so-and-so, and i would have been so much more successful in life.

Then i would whine and pray for more good things in life.

I have a well-abled body, but here am i complaining about how i wish i could have a nicer body. I've good health, yet i am complaining about the minor illnesses i get every now and then. I have loving parents, yet sometimes i can't help but wish that they were wealthier, healthier and better. I have an education, yet i'm complaining about how school sucks and how i wished i never had to go to school. I have a house to live in, yet i wish to live in a bigger house. I've almost everything i've wished for in life, yet i'm wishing for more.

I've always hated greedy people, yet i failed to realise I've also turned into one. 

But come to think of it, i wouldn't trade anything for anything else different now. I'm blessed with many things. I'm blessed with a normal body, a body that is able to function normally - a body that has all four limbs and a body that can move, while not everyone are blessed with this. I'm blessed with my health, and not everyone is born healthy. I'm blessed with the best parents in the entire universe, the two people in life that i love the most and wouldn't trade anyone else for. I'm blessed with an education, while some people out there wish for one too. I'm blessed with having a roof to live under, while some others have to live under extreme conditions.

Looking back, i feel like i deserve a pat on my back. The old me - the superficial, whiny, pampered, unappreciative girl was me few years back. But now, not anymore.
 The nightmare I've gone through just two years ago have definitely taught me a huge lesson and made me change for the better. Most of all, I'm grateful for that painful lesson i had to go through.(which shall remain as the biggest reminder in my life that i should never take things for granted.)
If not for the things that I've gone through, i wouldn't be who i am here today.

If you, too, have complained about the size of your body, the family you were born in, the education you're given with, having not enough money to spend, not having enough etc etc etc.....i think it's also time for you to realise that you have enough.

and it's never too late to realise the things you've done wrong, moreover its never too late to change for the better.

Ask yourself. How long ago have you actually thought about the people who aren't as fortunate as you? Are you, too caught up in someone's else life wishing you were him/her?

Us today, have seemed to lose our own humanness. We seek happiness in the big things and neglect the smallest and simplest things in life. We ask for more when we have more than enough.

But today, i am not going to ask for more than what i have. I am going to count my blessings and I'm thankful for what I'm blessed with.

And for you, i wish you'd do the same.

“To the barefoot man, happiness is a pair of shoes. To the man with old shoes, it's a pair of new shoes. To the man with new shoes, it's stylish shoes. And of course, the fellow with no feet would be happy to be barefoot. Measure your life by what you have not by what you don't.”