A Lesson In Gratitude.

Something I’m very aware of within myself sometimes, is my lack of gratitude. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m a thankful person, I know I’m lucky for what I have, but sometimes I get so caught up that I need to force myself to take a step back to realise, I really need to be more grateful for the things I have.

A few nights ago, I cured my boredom by scrolling away for hours on Right Move. Nothing good ever comes from setting the filters to show you houses with a minimum of four bedrooms, and set it to see the highest priced first; you inevitably fall in love with a house you could never afford!

I scrolled and scrolled, looking at the layout of houses, imagining how I would live in it, and taking a moment to judge the current owners taste in decoration. (Why is it the most expensive houses are ugly inside? Does the bank arrange the surgical removal of all taste as soon as your account hits the million mark?)

Then suddenly – there it was on my screen: my dream house.

It’s not what I had expected to fall in love with; a new build, four bedrooms, double garage, a big garden, close to schools, and in an area, I know of. Absolutely gorgeous! The only problem was the £400,000 price tag.

I’m not the kind of person that rates material things, and I see money as just a set of numbers that help you get through life; I have no interest in being a millionaire. I’m not the kind of person that wants to break my ankles on a pair of Christian Louboutins, or dress head-to-toe in Gucci! Or live in a big, fancy house for-that-matter; but in the moment of falling in love with this house, I convinced myself I do rate them things.

Imagining pulling up to this gorgeous house, in a brand new car was sounding really good to me, and it then led me to wonder whether I should suck-it-up and go back to finish university, do the BA and all the other training I was going to do, just so I could maybe one day have enough money to buy this house.

“I’d hate it, but I’d have a nice, big house to go home to.”

… just let that sentence sink in. “I’d hate it, but…”  

When I caught myself thinking about it, I couldn’t believe I’d even considered that was an option!

“I’d hate it but…” If you hate it then why entertain it in the first place?

Knocking the silliness out of my head, I realised I need to be more grateful for what I already have!

Not only do I have air in my lungs (Questionable whether that air is actually good during a pandemic, but never mind) I have my family, and friends. I have a gorgeous, big house I already live in, with only one bedroom less than the dream house! I have a car that, even though it doesn’t have working A/C and often makes a humming noise I choose to ignore, gets me from A to B safely. I have my health and I have a job that gives enough money to pay all my bills on time. That’s a whole lot of stuff to be thankful for.

It’s alright to dream and look at houses you can’t afford, but not if you’re contemplating sacrificing your happiness to fuel making that dream a reality. Especially when you already have everything you could ever ask for all around you.

I’m from now on going to make a conscious effort to be more grateful for what I have.
There’s nothing in the cupboards that I fancy eating – but there is food in my cupboards.
I feel skint from paying the mortgage and bills – but I bought my own house, that’s safe, warm and dry.
I’m tired when I get in late from work – but I have a job in the first place.

Of course, life still can be worth moaning about sometimes, (Who doesn’t love a good moan?) But I think gratitude is so important for our wellbeing. Afterall, if we’re not grateful for what we currently have, then what makes us think we’d feel grateful for the things we’re lusting after?

There’s always something you think is better, but as the saying goes, ‘The grass isn’t always greener on the other side.’ Take care of your own grass and be grateful it’s there, and it might end up being greener than anything you could have imagined on the other side.