Hola! Bonjour! Marhaba! Howdy! Hello! Halla! Ola! I know it’s been awhile since my last post. I’m sorry for my sporadic posts, I’m currently in a transitional phase in my life, so I truly appreciate your patience and support.
One evening, I heard my brother whisper a prayer: “I thank you for everything that I have, for the blessings that I am aware of and the blessings I am unaware of. I thank you for what is ahead and what the future holds”. Tears began to flood my face, like lava pouring out of a volcano that had just erupted. His words had struck a chord in my soul. I then realized a fundamental truth about life, only when you count your blessings and give thanks, only then will we start feeling fulfilled, and happy.
My cousin used to always say: ”I would love to drink from that happy juice, you are drinking, can you please give me the recipe?” I wish I had a simple recipe that would instantly give you an adrenaline rush or make you instantly happy. Viola some magic! I am sorry to disappoint you, I don’t have that recipe, but what I do know is something simple, the secret to staying happy is gratitude.
Gratitude is the feeling of thankfulness, it means gearing your attention to the things you have, as opposed to the things you lack. Gratitude not only determines your attitude, it determines your latitude, and how far you get in life. When I wake up every morning my heart is overwhelmed with gratitude. I am thankful to be alive. I am thankful that I get to see another day. I am thankful for the roof on top of my head, for the bed I sleep in, for the food in my fridge, for my amazing family, for the eyes that I see with, for the air that I’m breathing, for everything that I believe in. I am thankful for every person that I have crossed path with, whether good or bad. In every experience in our lives there is a lesson to learn from.
It is easy to feel grateful when things are going smoothly in your life, but even in our darkest hours, we have to remember to be grateful because behind every lesson there is a blessing. Yes, I do have some really bad days but even on my worst day I know that after the storm the sun will shine. This might be the best piece of advice that I will probably ever give you. Last year I had one of my best years, simply because I kept a gratitude journal. I wrote three things every day that I was grateful for; I encourage you to do the same. I also wrote thank you cards to people who had impacted my life. I promise you this: giving thanks will make you happier, more resilient; it will also strengthen your relationships and improve your health. For all the men out there since I know you don’t like keeping journals, just use a voice recorder and record three things you feel grateful for everyday or maybe use snapchat as your outlet.
“If the only prayer you say in your life is ‘ thank you, ‘ that would suffice.” – Meister Eckhart.
HABEEBA'S WORLD 