SHIFTING MY FOCUS (V)

​​I was recently having a conversation with a friend about what my life was like a few years ago. And as the conversation progressed, I realized how much has changed since then. Although the conversation started off with me trying to encourage her, it ended up encouraging me! 😄 So many prayers I made in the past few years have been answered - even some that I don't remember saying out loud - and yet I hadn't realized this until we started talking about it. Apart from encouraging me, however, the conversation also ended up convicting me of something I didn't even know I had been doing until then...

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​Not so long ago, I was feeling very discouraged about how 'slowly' things in my life were progressing compared to how fast I had hoped they would. I shared how I felt with God. I told Him that I was discontent, and felt like I was getting the shorter end of the bargain. That was until the night this conversation with my friend took place. The more I shared about myself, and how far I've come since then, the more I realized how much my attitude had changed over the years.

​A few years ago, I remember feeling lucky and blessed for all that was going right in my life, and I expressed my feelings of gratitude to God more often than not. I wasn't even in school yet, hadn't travelled much, and was unsure of which direction my life would take in the next few months - let alone years; and yet it seems that the more I have experienced and accumulated over the years, the more ungrateful I have become, focusing instead on how much more I wish I currently had.

I couldn't possibly count how many messages I have heard or read that encourage people to be more grateful for their blessings; however, every time I hear or read such messages, I never really think they apply to me. I mean, I hadn't even realized that I had stopped being grateful! So it really was a surprise when it occurred to me that, despite having more now, I had been more content and grateful when I had less!

Being content isn't as easy as it sounds; on the one hand, I can't deny that I'm sometimes unsatisfied with what I have & where I am in life. The truth is, I do want more. And I don't believe that the desire to have more is wrong - neither do I doubt that God is more than willing to give me (or any of us, for that matter) more. However, even after picturing myself with what I currently want, I realized that I wouldn't be satisfied with it. It was then that it occurred to me that if I can't learn to be happy with what I have now, I probably won't be happy even when I have more.

​I also realized that the problem had started with the thoughts I'd allowed myself to think which, in turn, affected how I felt. Since then, I have been constantly trying to keep my thoughts in check, and to focus more on how much I have to be grateful for rather than on how much I wish I had. I have also realized that it's necessary and important to be intentional about being grateful; because when we don't do so, we automatically leave room in our minds for ungratefulness to creep in.

With that said, I figured it was time for my next gratitude post! 😃

So here's a list of the things I'm grateful for so far this year:
1. God's guidance and constant reminder to stay focused on the goal whenever I get distracted.🙏
2. I've spent so much more time with my family this year than I did last year. 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 ❤
3. My health is good  - something I must admit I have really been taking for granted. It's taken meeting people battling so many different illnesses for me to realize just how big a deal it is to be in good health. 
4. I have grown - not only as a person, but also as an artist (writer, photographer & videographer 😜) - and I'm truly grateful to be becoming more of who I want to be with each passing day.
5. I moved to a different city in the Netherlands (The Hague) which I feel fits better with who I currently am. 😊
6.I have recently met quite a number of people & formed friendships that have positively contributed to my journey.
7. My attitude towards school is changing for the better. I used to freak out like crazy about exams, assignments, deadlines - you name it! But I'm finally getting the hang of it. Yey! 😃
8. My trips to Gran Canaria, Belgium & Greece this year went splendidly well (all of which at some point I didn't think would actually happen). Hurrah!🎉🎊

I'd like to encourage you to take some time this coming week to make a list of the things you're grateful for so far this year. It really makes a huge difference to how you live each and every day. 😉😊​
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- ✗O✗O.