Taking All for Granted but Always Praying for More

Social media is a great tool to express our emotions, feelings, point of views and so forth. It allows us to share with the rest of the world how we are feeling at that very moment. While some people may think this is the beginning of a decline in civilization and intimacy, I believe that there are some great attributes to this form of communication. I signed onto my Facebook with the intention of procrastinating a bit before writing my paper when I stumbled upon my friend Katherine’s wall.

She had posted a status stating the following: “the things you take for granted, someone is praying for.” Well, that 10 word statement got me thinking. I started thinking about the truth that message conveyed through its words.  In a rapid paced society, we tend to become so desensitized about the good things that come into our lives. Whether it’s our friendships, relationships, jobs, health or possessions, we forget the value behind what we call ours.  We take things for granted. Sometimes we do this unintentionally. We forget to appreciate the good and focus on the bad. For instance, friendship is a value we deeply cherish, yet we forget to be grateful and thankful for the good people that enter our lives. We forget their unconditional generosity, kindness and loyalty. This inevitably leads us to take those friends for granted, whether we do consciously or subconsciously. We all do it and we blame human nature for it. But that is just an excuse. Blaming “human nature” for taking things for granted is just another reason to be lazy. If we make it a habit to be thankful and grateful for what we have, it becomes an embedded habit. You make it a custom to your being. It makes you live a more fruitful and appreciative life.  

The second part of this statement really makes you think about your own selfish ways. Someone out there is always praying for something you have in your life. Whether it is a good friend, a good grade in school or a meal on the table, someone out there wishes they were in your shoes. And this also goes for the person who lives in abundance. We are constantly consciously or subconsciously praying for something. We create these inner voids that need to be fulfilled in order to feel that our self-worth can constantly improve.

Now this may be overly optimistic and idealist for the pessimists and realists out there, but our emotions and actions can always be controlled. We do not have the ability to control how people will act or what circumstances may head our way, but we can control how we react to them. It’s being conscious within your subconscious state. It is about being aware. While this may sound like a lot of effort, the benefits of living this way are abundant. Being mindful makes you appreciate the moment on a bigger high because you can take into account your surroundings and yourself within a specific context.

I can’t tell you why Katherine posted this message as her status but I can say that it did trigger an internal reflection within me. Social media allowed me to explore a question vital to our existence and for that I thank it for its uncanny ways of exposing human lives. 

Limits: Concessions We Impose on Ourselves

Yesterday I ran into an old friend of mine. We sat down on a bench outside of library where we caught up on each others lives. We shared brief encounters we had made since our last run-in, the pile of work we had sitting in front of us and our future aspirations. As we passed our casual conversational pleasantries, we began to discuss our future ambitions.  And it got me thinking.

I listened to my friend talk about past mistakes he made in the classroom, the minimal experience he had acquired over the years and the pressure he carried as a burden about the future. As I listened to him, I realized that the items he enumerated were fear dressed into arguments. While I could sympathize with him because we all carry baggage too heavy for us to cart around, it confirmed one thing to me. The reason we do not pursue our biggest dreams and goals, is due to the limits we impose on ourselves. We find excuses, arguments even reasons to not pursue our ambitions. We find that if we can justify our fears, we can sleep at night knowing there was nothing we could have done to achieve an abundance of success and glory.  

I look at people who have surrounded me my whole life and the obstacles they have overcome with all odds against them, and I cannot justify validating those who impose limits on themselves merely because they found a reason to do so.  I believe that even in the darkest room, you can find a light. You must simply look for it. It’s your determination and your passion that should drive your ambitions. No one will believe in you unless you believe in yourself. If you believe that you are worth it, people will feel that in your presence. Whether you are rich or poor, short or tall, quiet or loud, you are your own creator of limits. When you create your limits, you consent to concessions on your life.

As I left my friend yesterday, I could see the hope and desire in his eyes. I know that he will use that energy within him to pursue his goals. Brilliance is a product of our genuine desires and aspirations. Being true to yourself and those ambitions you hold dear will leave us to live a life of abundant happiness, success and peace of mind. 

“The garden of the world has no limits, except in your mind.”
― Rumi