Consider that, this Thanksgiving, you are approached by a business man. He comes to your door as you are cooking dinner. While you say that you must get back and tend to the stuffing, he insists that you listen to his offering. It's one that will give you overnight wealth that you could only dream of, he says. So, you tell him to make it quick, your sketchiness radar going off in your head. Then, he presents the deal. All you have to do is give him your arm, and you'll be handed a suitcase with 10 million dollars from his trunk. You can even get 20 million by giving 2 limbs. Would you do it? How about if he offered a trillion dollars, and in receiving it you will wake up tomorrow at 100 years of age? The conclusion you presumably came to is "hell no" for each of these situations. But why? We live in a society where making money is the most stressed ambition for any employee. And yet you would turn the businessman down.
It's because you're already rich.
Health and time are the most valuable assets we have, and most of the time this goes unnoticed. More valuable than any residential highrise or investment turned to gold. Let's do some math on the situation I presented. If I was paid more than a trillion dollars to be a centenarian tomorrow, I would say no. But let's suppose that a trillion dollars would be the proper number to reach a deal for simplicity's sake. That means that 80 years tacked on to my life results in that sum. Divide that amount by 80, and I'm valuing each year of my life at over $12,500,000,000 (that's billions). Each month would be worth $1,041,000,000. And I'm not even taking that deal. The same is true when you think about all the facets of health that have to be just right for you to be able to be active, mobile, and physically functional. It's hard to even comprehend how much you would value your body at... see, you're already rich.
That's just an example of how you can re-frame your perspective in a way that recognizes all the gifts you have. There are many other things you can apply it to. Family, for example, is immensely important to my happiness. When I think about this, it becomes clear that I wouldn't change anything about any part of my family even if I could. I'm so lucky to be a part of a group of amazing people, and we are lucky to have not experienced hardly any unexpected or traumatic losses. I can pick up the phone and talk to someone who's supportive and unconditionally loving within seconds. My family is my home base. I think that everyone has at least a few equivalents in their own lives, and finding them is empowering.
I'm trying to get better at reflecting in this way more regularly. No doubt there are things in life that I strive to reach, goals I am hoping to achieve, but it's powerful when I realize that a huge piece of what I could ever want is already within my reach. Things like family and health are things I already have that contribute so much to my happiness but go overlooked. One way to improve implementation of gratefulness is by creating a journal. Every night before bed, you could write three things you're grateful for. No need to make it stressful or complex. The effort alone is enough.
Being grateful, even for ten minutes at the end of the day, makes you really realize that a piece of what you're looking for is already in front of you. You have the power to be just a little bit happier now and say "I'll be happy when..." just a little bit less. If you aren't buying the power of it based solely on how it makes you feel, there are scientifically proven benefits to regularly practicing gratefulness, too. Research has shown that gratitude makes us less materialistic and less likely to compare our lives to others'. It reduces stress, improves sleep, and makes us more empathetic. Most importantly, it has been shown to improve happiness significantly over time.
Now, next time someone asks what your superpower would be, you can answer that you already have one. OK, maybe not, that's a little cheesy. But being grateful for just a few minutes a day can make ripples and truly change your life, even if just a little!
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