Every day, we take things for granted. Whether it be our parents, clean water, Nutella, our professors, etc. it’s easy to forget how privileged we are. The purpose of today’s blog post is to give you a quick reminder that privileges are neither guaranteed nor everlasting. Here are a few exercises you should consider doing so you learn to appreciate things while you still have them. And believe me, once you lose something valuable in your life, you’ll regret ever having taken it for granted.
#1 Put yourself in someone else’s shoes
People say this all the time, but we rarely act on it. Which is a shame because I personally think this is one of the most eye opening mental exercises. Take a few minutes to picture yourself as someone who has a different set of problems from you. For me, it’s much easier to picture myself as a specific person I know rather than a theoretical person I make up in my head. For example, let’s say one of my guy friends complains about how it’s unfair the way women always expect the man to approach them. Then I, not being a man, would put myself in my friend’s shoes and think something along the lines of: “Wow, it must be a lot of pressure on men to always be expected to approach the women they’re interested in. Even though we live in a society where we’re supposed to promote equal rights and opportunities, we as women often push traditional stereotypes on men. If a guy can’t approach us, we don’t consider him to be manly and judge him. It’s hardly fair. Imagining myself as a man in a social situation, it’s understandable why they are so frustrated by this.” And with that simple thought, I can be more empathetic toward my friend’s complaints and understand where his frustration stems from. This exercise is great because it can be applied to any differences, such as: gender, race, height, weight, etc. Try this with an open mind, and I promise it will increase your empathy and understanding of others.
#2 Express gratitude on a regular basis
“Thank you” is a powerful phrase. Say it often – especially to those you take for granted (AKA your parents and professors). That’s all there is to it.
#3 Give
I really enjoy giving money to the homeless. Not because I’m an overly generous, flawless and morally superior person. But because, even though it may not, I’d like to believe it makes a difference. And it brings me so much joy to see a stranger’s face light up when I give them a few quarters or dollars. It reminds me how lucky I am to have a roof over my head and a credit card in my wallet. Despite common misconceptions, much of the homeless population is not homeless because they were “lazy” or “unwilling to work.” Some of them led normal lives like us until a life-changing injury or devastating accident took everything away from them. I’m sure many of them never expected to end up on the streets, living from dollar to dollar. The point of this whole rant being: give. Give as much as you want or as little as you want, but just give. Give by volunteering, give by donating money or give by sparing some of your time. It not only makes a positive impact on someone else’s life, but it will also remind you how blessed you are in yours.
