At this very moment, I’m sitting in a gloriously comfortable chair, overlooking the beautiful hot springs of Pamukkale in Turkey. They are spectacular, white pools of water cascading down a cliff, and I have a strange feeling that, if heaven exists, it might look something like this.
So I’m here shooting, dancing, working, laughing and, except for a few moments where I stop and say, “Wow! This is an amazing view!”, I’m mostly taking it for granted. I know that when I’m back in my apartment in Mumbai, desperately trying to enjoy the view of the demolition in my neighboring building, I will miss this moment, so I’ve decided to savor it for what it really is.
I can see how some of you reading this might think I’m being extremely melodramatic, but, in my experience, taking things for granted remains a very common human condition. It’s not so much about putting everything on a pedestal; it’s simply about not taking it for granted.
So, let’s say you broke up with your high school sweetheart. It may be humiliating, heartbreaking or hilarious even, but we take all the laughter, tears, and all that jazz completely for granted. We take for granted the lessons our friends and parents teach us. We forget that the best meal isn’t always at the finest restaurant, it’s actually sometimes about anything we can get our hands on after a hard day’s work (there have been days when Cup’O’Noodles have definitely beaten French cuisine). We forget that the most valuable things in this world are free and ironically priceless, like unconditional love, good advice, or a strong friendship.
When I was a kid and behaved badly and ungrateful, a very wise lady (a family friend) made me write a list of all the amazing things in my life that I took for granted. When I think about it, we as people never change much. We still tend to complain more, rather than revel in our strengths and weaknesses. Although I don’t write these lists regularly anymore, I do make the occasional ones. So here goes, for old time’s sake.
When I was a kid and behaved badly and ungrateful, a very wise lady (a family friend) made me write a list of all the amazing things in my life that I took for granted. When I think about it, we as people never change much. We still tend to complain more, rather than revel in our strengths and weaknesses. Although I don’t write these lists regularly anymore, I do make the occasional ones. So here goes, for old time’s sake.
I’m thankful for my life.
I’m thankful for my job.
I’m thankful for the amazing places I travel to.
I’m thankful for the amazing food I eat.
I’m thankful for the interesting people I meet.
I’m thankful for my phone because, without it, I would perish.
Lastly, and most importantly, I’m thankful for my unwavering faith, no matter how rough things get. As they say, “picture
abhi baaki hai mere dost
”, and that really is the best part. So, as silly as it may seem, one small list can make you a lot more grateful. Everything you want, you can get. Your one can become a ten, your ten can become a hundred, but you are certain to find yourself at square one if you don’t stop to smell the roses along your path of life!
Read more Shruti Haasan columns.