It’s only human nature to want what we can’t have – you know, something along the lines of that good old adage about “the grass being greener on the other side.” It is the unattainable that seduces us – it provides for us a challenge, a bit of mystery, and injection of interesting in comparison to what we already know and have. The majority of us live what we see as normal. Boring. Monotonous. We pine over the intangible, making ourself sick over material things, places, people that aren’t obtainable. We obsess and dedicate our lives to owning whatever it is we want, and can’t have.
And in that process we forget to appreciate what we do have, and what truly is best for us.
Let’s look at love (or lust) for instance; why is it that centuries of human romanticists have yearned for unrequited love? It’s seductive, it’s tantalizing, it’s interesting. It brings excitement to our otherwise boring lives – what fun is love returned? It’s expected, and so we take that unconditional love for granted.
We must be grateful for what we have, and what is given to us. The birds can fly anywhere on this Earth, and yet they choose to stay in the same place. Is it because they have seen the world when they were young, and have come to appreciate what they were first provided with? Perhaps – perhaps we should follow in their lead, and do the same. Let yourself see the world. Let yourself see, touch, feel, taste, hear the world, and experience every bit of it. Be adventurous and travel the world. Appreciate those who love you, and what is given to you – but that is not to say that you should simply accept that as everything. What you are given is meant to ground you, to give you a source on which you can rely upon. But what you are also given is potential to achieve.
Live with gratitude; whether noted mentally or listed, know what you are thankful for. Remember that, but also remember you only live once.
{ image source: t u m b l r }
Carpe diem, seize the day. You only live once; what have you got to lose?
♥
bisous,
La C.
well said. we always yearn for what we can’t have. today was one of those days where I did live in the moment and realize what I do have is exceptional, beautiful and wonderful. No regrets.
It is easy to want what we can’t have. Wanting what is actually attainable, and being grateful for what we have, especially people, is more uncommon. Those tangible desires…they’re not as interesting as unrequited ones.
I think that maybe we are afraid of the responsibility that comes with achievement and gratuity.
Interesting post…got me thinking about what is important to humanity as a whole. Desire, or appreciation for what is already in front of us?
Wise words! Seems like we are a culture of always striving for perfection, the best, first place and nothing less, which is to say, unhealthy. Perfection is perfection b/c it’s unattainable, so we should learn to appreciate the beauty of what we have. It shouldn’t be complicated to be happy 🙂
good wakeup call.
my personal thoughts: who decides what’s truly best for ourselves? if it’s still us ourselves, then why are we still left hanging hungry, thirsty, empty, etc.? the desires still remain. until someone higher than ourselves change our hearts and minds. there’re other methods, like emptying ourselves of these desires. it might work for some. it didn’t work for me, not if it’s still me being the one to try to rule my own life.
Hello. I hope this finds you doing well. I’ve been on a blogging hiatus since the beginning of the year, so it’s been quite some time since I’ve been around to visit some blogs. I’m back from my break now. I wanted to make sure to visit your blog. I enjoyed checking out the latest posts on your blog. Great job. I’m back blogging now myself. I hope you’ll take a look at what I’m doing. Thanks. Take care. Have a great week.
I thought your comparison with birds particularly poetic.
Though, of course, many birds are migratory and will leave their native breeding shores in the winter for warmer climes. And therein lies another important comparison.
We should be grateful for all aspects of life. Absolutely.
However, we should also recognise that life is about growth – and, indeed, survival – and it is sometimes necessary to do as the birds and fly away from those situations that no longer nurture or sustain us.
beautiful post and very wise words!
Thanks for these pearls, truly! It’s a pleasure reading you, as usual!
i love this post. i, too, find your comparison to birds to be quite poetic. the entire post & idea you are putting forth is beautiful. while i think having goals & constantly striving to improve is incredibly important, gratitude is equally important. gratitude never goes out of style. it keeps us grounded & i believe if put positivity & gratitude into the universe it will come back to you. as they say, you reap what you sow.
on that note, thank you for this post. it made me smile. 🙂
Well said La C.! And congrats on another well written post!
Very well written post! Its so true that on the way of pursuing something we can’t/ don’t have, we often fail to appreciate the stuff that we do have.
Beautiful post. I just discovered your blog and I love it. It’s great to hear someone who has a grounded perspective on life!
Reblogged this on mooneysblog and commented:
Wise words