why you sould be grateful for where you are right now

One of my greatest struggles is being present, and practicing gratitude for the things I have in my life.

I think this is common though. It’s psychology ingrained in our brains to constantly be searching for something more — a new job, more money & success, or for a new, fulfilling relationship.

So many of us get into this perpetual mindset that is nearly impossible to break-free from: one that leaves us feeling discontent and like, what we do have now, simply isn’t enough to make us truly happy.

The truth is: nothing we ever gain extrinsically will be able to fill this “void” of dissatisfaction or unmet desire.

This is something I’ve realized now more than ever, and can be applied to various aspects of our life. Relationships are a big one though.

When we break up with somebody — specifically if it was a long-term relationship or one where feelings were especially strong — the next few months of our life where we’re meeting new people and attempting to build new relationships can be confusing and turbulent.

Your mind is still attached to this fixed idea or perspective of what love SHOULD be, and anything that deviates slightly feels like a connection that simply isn't as “deep” in comparison.

You spend months missing what you had with that individual, as your brain naively clings onto only the good memories and completely discards all the bad ones.

If you do end up “getting back” with this person, you tend to find out very quickly that you were disillusioned, and that you didn’t have as much gratitude as you had for the people that helped you heal, the new relationships that you deemed “one dimensional” simply because they were different, or the life you had without them.

It’s human nature to want what we don’t have, and when we attain it, to wish we could go back.

We realize this at different periods of our life, through different situations and lessons, but it leads us all to the same conclusion.

If we can be grateful for what we have in each moment — whether it’s your best friend, your family, or even yourself — we spend less energy desiring things that won’t even make us happy if we attain them.

Even the moments when you’re sad and in the midst of a difficult situation are ones that are important and should be viewed from a place of gratitude.

Without these difficult times, happy moments wouldn’t feel nearly as relieving, and necessary growth wouldn’t be possible.

Be grateful for where you are right now and stop yearning for something that won’t make you TRULY fulfilled. Fulfillment comes from within.