What Are You Really Grateful For?

The coffee’s too cold. Should’ve boiled the milk longer. At least you have coffee. Damn it, you should be more thankful. You ungrateful bitch.

Ah! I shouldn’t be too hard on myself. After all, I worked hard for this. My parents worked hard for this and their parents. And…

Really? You want to sit on that high horse and talk about hard work? Is that it? Then why doesn’t your house-help who wakes up at 4 everyday, eats a piece of bread and cleans up six houses before coming to yours, deserve what you have? Or those two guys in the garbage truck, cleaning up after your filth. I bet you wouldn’t even go near them. Don’t you think they work hard?

But there’s such a thing as leverage…

Leverage… haha, go on…

See, it’s because my parents sacrificed something for me. They decided to make some difficult choices so that I get a good future. I got a good education, worked hard, and capitalized on that opportunity. I studied in a university my parents funded, worked hard, landed a decent job, saved money and now I’m enjoying the fruits of that leverage. I got to this moment through leverage. Isn’t that fair?

So you think it’s generational leverage? And it’s fair? Then what about people who didn’t have the opportunity to gain leverage? What about a kid born without limbs or without sight? How is he supposed to “capitalize” or gain leverage?

But…

What?! Are you really going to go there? What next, your past life’s karma? Your ancestors’? Don’t stoop that low.

It can’t be completely untrue, right?

Huh, You sound like a hypocrite! Hard work, leverage, karma. You really dug your own grave! Why don’t you just accept the truth?

The truth?

That you got lucky!

There is no such thing as luck. People create their own luck by working hard. Working against adversities…

That’s some Hollywood bullshit that has been fed to you for too long.

What are you saying?

You were just born in the right place, at the right time. Nothing more. An outlier.

Outlier? I’m not that special!

Oh! But you are. Believe me. You are luckier than you can possibly imagine.

So what are you reaching at? That I should be more grateful?

Thinking of being grateful is itself a privilege. Of course anybody can do it but most people don’t get the opportunity to think about it. What I want from you is that you acknowledge your privilege and quit whining.

I guess I should be more grateful. Life isn’t fair to everybody. But that’s life.

Exactly, that’s life. And it happened to you. So live everyday with gratefulness. And no, I don’t mean just showing gestures. Praying mindlessly before eating just because you’ve been taught to do it or journaling about being grateful. That’s not the art of gratefulness. Don’t just talk about gratitude; feel it. Live it.

You’ve given me a lot to think about.

Don’t overthink. Just make sure that a fraction of each breath you take makes you realize that what a privilege it is to be here. To be here now. And it is enough. It is more than what you deserve. It is more than what you could’ve asked for.

Hmm. Thanks, I needed that.

Good. Now enjoy your coffee!