The Baby Steps Of A Grateful Heart

Earlier this year, a colleague came to me and said ‘you are always such a happy person!’

Immediately I wanted to correct her and explain exactly how imperfect my life is. I stopped myself before I could and took it as an opportunity to reflect instead.

Here was a woman, who’s always had more than me in life, thinking my life was good. I mean, was she serious!

I wish, I was writing this in the past tense, as my ‘rags to riches’ story but this is my reality every day. I live a life where the most I own as a 26-year-old is one lousy suitcase full of my clothes. When one of my sisters decide to wear something out of there, it literally means one less outfit for me to wear that week.

So, my life does kinda suck and that is why, when my colleague shared her observations about me, I inwardly rejected them.

For the first time when writing a post, I struggled to have a title. That is because it’s hard for me to share this. I could go on and on about the levels of having a less fortunate life and the sometimes burdensome reality of being a first-born with responsibilities. But with all that, one thing remains: GRATEFULNESS. Not for the lack but for everything else that I have been given.

And maybe it is true, I am happy besides everything else that I do lack. I realize that I’ve been given enough of everything else to always be fulfilled.

I’m grateful for the joy and peace that floods my soul. I’m grateful for contentment that banishes away the desire of pursuing ‘options’ that could break my spirit. I’m grateful for LIFE – the abundance and the beauty of mine being hidden in Christ. I’m grateful for Family – the only place I call home on planet earth. I’m grateful for Love – that keeps finding me in all my hopeless places. I’m grateful that I aspire to live each day fully and honestly. I’m grateful for Friends – because of them, I have companionship and my life is always filled with laughter. I’m grateful for my aspirations – living every single day deliberately seeking to be aligned with my purpose. I’m grateful for being accountable to God – allowing Him to mould me to His likeness, appreciating the emphasis He puts on me to be the best version of myself. I’m grateful for the little I have been entrusted with – learning the necessary lessons of humility and empathy.

I hope 2016 and all my other years have fuller pockets. But in this moment, I am grateful for this day because I have been given more than enough 😘😘😘

Cover Photo By: Nhlakanipho Nhlapo 

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Do you have everything you need? What are you most grateful for?