Be Painfully Aware

Be painfully aware of your blessings. I say painfully because the reality is the best things in life don't often come gift wrapped in a box with ribbon on top, nor in little balls of fur call kittens and puppies. No, often times the things we need most are endowed under the worst circumstances possible. Blessings are usually proportional to the hell through which we must go through to attain them. Just as we calculate the worth of something by assigning how much it will cost us, blessings are often valued by how hard it takes for it to come to us. 

To be aware of your blessings is painful, because often times we are bowed down by circumstances. It takes great strength and character to be able to take a step back, straighten our backs and regard the silver lining in the clouds that constantly rain hail upon our backs. It is easy for us to succumb to depression when things aren't going right, after all we are always on a mission for the betterment of our lives. It is only natural to take it personal and feel like we are failing when things don't go right. Yet it is dangerous to be so gung ho about the bad, that we neglect the simple pleasures that can be amplified should we choose to give it more value. 

It takes a lot of conscious effort to be able to step back and rejoice... the law of thermodynamics dictate that we will always move toward chaos as energy has a tendency to flow loosely. But, it is through the input of effort that we pack energy together to make something beautiful by giving it order. Its like a library, the beauty of the library resides in the fact that its content is accessible in an orderly fashioned. The upkeep of its beauty requires the constant dedication of the librarians in ensuring that the books are re-shelved, and materials categorized correctly. It is a mindless droning process, but librarians get a sense of pride when they can step back and realize just how beautiful their work is - that after hours of bending and stretching to put the books on the right shelves.