Idling vs. Gratitude

Idling: (verb) to move aimlessly or lazily.

Lately when people ask me how I’m doing, I answer, “good you know, just kind of ‘bla.'”

“What do you mean ‘bla?'”

“You know, I feel as though I’m sort of idling through life, ready for the next thing, just trying to get through my obligations now.”

For the past couple of weeks, I had accepted this.

I wake up, go to work, go to school, come home, watch TV, do it over again.

My sense of excitement for life, my need for new challenges, and my obsession with the potential of each day was gone, and what was there was someone just existing, doing what had to be done and nothing more.

And that isn’t a bad thing, I’ve still been doing generally well, but for me, it’s not enough.

It happens, people do it all time. Students get over school, employees get over their job, residents get over their town.

It happens, yes. Do I choose to accept it? Absolutely not.

“Idling” through life, should not be an option.

You wake up, upset about the obligations in front of you for the day, because, well, does anyone really love Mondays? When what you should be thinking of is how lucky you are to be alive, to have obligations to go to.

I think in my quest to attain so many goals and improve in all aspects of my life, I had forgotten to practice gratitude, to appreciate just how blessed I am and appreciate the fact that I can set goals, that I can work toward them, that I am where I already am today.

Maybe the reason I let myself slip into this mindset of “idling” is because of the unknown coming up (for real, what I am I going to write on my graduation cap?) Maybe it’s because I’m human and it happens. But maybe, it’s because I forgot to remember how lucky I am to even be here, doing what I do every day.

Whatever the reason, gratitude, appreciation and realizing the vast potential life offers are the answers.

Will I wake up every day absolutely thrilled to get ready and go? Probably not. Will I be overly excited for each meeting I need to attend? I mean, I doubt it.

Will I often remind myself of how incredible life is and how much I have? Absolutely.

Because once you remember that, you’ll remember your values, you’ll appreciate the little things, you’ll remember that it’s a gift to be able to read that book, a blessing to be able to workout.

You’ll remember that you are not idling through life, because life is too (effing) awesome for that. There is too much greatness in each day to idle, too many things to learn and people to meet. Too many goals to be reached, too many people to tell that you love.

Idling (verb): to move aimlessly or lazily.

Versus…

Gratitude: a feeling of appreciation or thanks.

You choose.