Timing of Appreciation

This weekend, I am very fortunate to spend it on a very peaceful place in Bali. This is not the first time I visit this place, but this visit feels much more special because this is my first visit in the past year.

In this very peaceful place, I could breathe clean air, hear sound of birds, and away from noise and pollution. It hits me yesterday that I did not appreciate this place as much as now after three weeks working in Jakarta with its pollution, noise, and routines. This place means a lot more to me as I need time to be away from all of the craziness In Jakarta. And I realize that I should’ve appreciated this place more and more as I get older.

During my morning swim I realize that it is very normal for people to take many things for granted. Just like what I did to this place, I believe that all of us usually take stuffs for granted. These stuffs could be something tangible such as money, items, gadgets; it could also be intangible stuffs such as relationships and health. 

An old saying: “You don’t know what you have until it’s gone” could be very true for us. However at this point we could change it! Would you like to find out when it’s gone or right now?

I remember an episode from How I Met Your Mother about graduation googles. The episode mention that all the stuff we had during high school feels more special when we are about to graduate, it also relates about how we reminisce all good time with our special one when we are about to break up. Stuffs feel more special when we are about to lose it.

I believe that it is a part of human nature to take things for granted, but isn’t it better if we could start giving more appreciation on what we have today? Take ten minutes today, think about what you are taking for granted and start to give more appreciation to it. I bet that you will be a happier person just by doing that!

 

"We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude."
- Cynthia Ozick