12 Things I am Very Grateful For

“Gratitude turns what we have into enough” — Anonymous

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

March is my favorite month of the year. For those of us living in the northern hemisphere, March is when we leave the cold long winter nights behind and we welcome spring. In March, the sun lingers for a bit longer than the months before, flowers start to blossom, and everything around us seems a bit more vibrant.

March is the month of hope and change. It represents rebirth, regrowth, and renewal and as luck would have it, it is also my birthday month. This fitting coincidence adds a personal touch to the spirit of transformation that comes with the third month of the year.

As I continue to reflect on my life and what transformation means to me, this year, I want to pay special attention to the way I express gratitude for being alive, for being me, and for being where I am today. I want to be more thankful for my journey — the highs, the (very low) lows, and everything in between. I want to live my life from a place of gratitude and this article is a step in that direction.

Beyond giving you a deeper glimpse into who I am as a person, I hope the below list of 12 things I am very grateful for inspires your thinking and helps you embrace gratitude as a core value in your life. Here goes:

1. I am grateful for my parents. If you’ve read my About Me article, then you know that I’m an orphan. I knew my dad for 16 years and my mom for 28. Even though they’re no longer alive, they gave me so much love and support as a child and young adult to last a lifetime. They also gave me a sister and a brother. I really couldn’t have asked for better parents and if given the choice, knowing that they would die before my 30th birthday, I would still choose them.
2. I am grateful for my friends, the family I chose. These are the people who hold me up when I need support, who congratulate and clap for me, who encourage me and make me laugh. My life would be less vibrant and exciting without them.
3. I am grateful for my blog and for everyone who takes the time to read my articles. Writing is not just another hobby for me. I started writing when I felt like my grief would eat me alive and I didn’t want to let it. Writing keeps me sane. Thank you for following my journey.
4. I am grateful for my body. Even on the days when my jeans feel tighter and my t-shirts feel like tank tops, I am glad that it is healthy and that it caries me around. And on the days when burpees don’t feel so difficult, and I can do 5 more push ups than I could the week before, I am proud of how strong it is.
5. I am grateful for my home and the roof over my head. I am thankful for my kitchen and the awesome meals I get to make everyday. I am grateful for how much peace my home brings me and how safe I feel every time I enter it.
6. I am grateful for my career and all the decision makers I ever came across that chose me over many other qualified candidates out there. I am grateful to consistently have a platform to lead, to drive change, to impact communities, and to bring my perspective to the world.
7. I am grateful that I have a choice between taking a cold or a warm shower in the morning depending on my mood. I am grateful that I have running water and heating.
8. I am grateful for all the times I felt lost and had to figure things out. I am grateful for the dilemmas, the cross-roads, and the things I had to learn to be able to handle complex situations. I am more mature as a result.
9. I am grateful for coffee and tea and how both make it possible for me to focus and be creative like I am while writing this article. I am grateful that I can choose which of those to have each day and whether I would prefer a dash of almond or oat milk with my most beloved hot beverages. I am also very grateful for chocolate and it’s ability to fix whatever problem exists in my life.
10. I am grateful to be multicultural. I love that I was born in Tanzania and that I chose western Europe as my home. I am thankful that I operate from a place of inclusion and open-mindedness. My world is so much bigger because of these experiences.
11. I am grateful that I can choose what to wear in the morning. I am grateful that I can decide how to best represent myself through my style and that my clothes keep me warm in winter and cool in summer. I probably shouldn’t be buying so many clothes, but I am grateful that that decision is a choice.
12. I am grateful for love in all its shapes, forms, and channels. I am grateful for all the love I have in my life and I am grateful to all the people who contribute to making me feel loved. Like the saying goes, I don’t believe I have met all the people who are going to love me yet. I am grateful I know this and I appreciate the abundance that is characteristic of the virtue of love.

It is human nature to pay more attention to the bad things that happen to us and ignore the good. It takes conscious work to shift our mindset and operate from a place appreciation. I hope this article has inspired you to rethink how you look at your journey. Instead of thinking why things happened to you, it may help to ask how the things that have happened to you have contributed to propelling you forward? How have they contributed to the person you are today?

If you haven’t already, ask yourself, “What am I grateful for?”

Until next time, stay thankful!

Imma

Imma Baradyana is an international technology professional, storyteller, and aspiring motivational speaker who writes about her personal, professional, and academic experiences. Each of her stories includes actionable advice and tips that are designed to help you along your journey.

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