Tag: gratitude

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On gratitude…again

IMG_2312I’m not new to expressing and writing about gratitude and I don’t think I’ve struggled too much to feel grateful for what I have and/or what I’ve experienced in my life. Even very painful and difficult events in my life have led me to something much better that I’d have expected and I’m grateful for them now, despite feeling horrible when they were happening.  But I’m not a blind believer in Nietzsche’s ‘what doesn’t kill us will make us stronger’ as becoming stronger requires making that choice of wanting to grow, open-mindedness, vulnerability and effort.  I haven’t always got it all right, but I’ve always chosen to learn a lesson or two and use it later in life for my benefit. And I’m grateful I’ve made that choice.

This period of lockdown seems to have forced a lot of people to reflect, notice those supposedly little and taken for granted things (and people!) in their lives , rethink their priorities and face the reality with humility and gratitude.

I’m grateful that I have a safe place to live in and that I have a garden, which makes life during lockdown a bit easier. And that I can plant flowers, veggies and herbs.  And that I can compost vegetable scraps. I’m grateful there’s a huge park just across the street that I can go to (it’s big enough to follow social distancing rules). I’m grateful that I have water and other utilities. I’m grateful that I have shops in walking distance and that I can afford buying food, despite not earning any money at the moment. I’m grateful that I’ve been learning to be careful with what I buy, so perishables won’t go to waste. I’m grateful that I connect and reconnect with so many wonderful friends I have in different corners of the world. So I’m grateful for technology too! I’m grateful that I don’t live alone at the moment. I’m grateful that I can still study. That I can meditate. And that I’m healthy.

I feel like I’m the luckiest person in the world 🙂


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Posted on

On gratitude

Recently I’ve had this overwhelming feeling of gratitude. I started paying more attention to what I have and noticed that  gratitude is something that arises pretty much on its own, there’s no need to force it.

I’m feeling grateful for little and ‘big’ things in my life:

  • for having a roof over my head, feeling warm, having food and clean running water, bed, clothes;
  • for my health, even though sometimes I need to attend to it a bit more that I would’ve expected. I’ve noticed that any dip in my health brings out some important message that I need to listen to, which is not necessarily directly health-related;
  • for access to education, my intelligence and desire to learn. I’m so grateful I can read and write and can speak and/or understand more than one language;
  • for having jobs that I really enjoy doing and for professional development opportunities;
  • for  freedom of choice, movement, speech; the fact I can vote;
  • for my family and friends.


Although I put people at the bottom of that list, it doesn’t mean they are the least important thing in my life. Very often I find myself struggle to comprehend how lucky I am having so many wonderful, kind and fantastic people in my life. I’m not sometimes sure how it happened that our paths have crossed, but sure I’m very very grateful for it 🙂 Sometimes I catch myself thinking what I’ve done to deserve having them in my life, but then, does it really matter? They’re a part of my life and I’m feeling grateful.

So to all my friends and family, my acquaintances, colleagues, neighbours and strangers, who in one way or the other have had an impact on my life : I feel very lucky and very grateful that I’ve been experiencing my life journey with you. Thank you for being here 🙂