You don't appreciate what you have until you lose it and I don't think there's a cliché more true than this one.
Think about it: when was the last time you truly appreciated your health until you got sick?
We rush through life so fast that we often forget to stop and look at what’s right in front of us.
We get caught up in chasing more - more success, more beauty, more experiences, more everything. And while we’re busy comparing ourselves to people we admire, we forget the things that actually make our lives meaningful.
When was the last time you really noticed the simple things around you?
- the morning coffee that makes your day start better
- the laugh you share with a friend
- the fact that your body lets you walk, run, dance, or hug someone you love
Most of the time, we don’t think twice about these things. We take them for granted. Until one day, they’re gone.
Maybe you’ve had an injury and couldn’t use your body the way you normally do. Maybe you lost touch with someone important for a while. Or maybe you had to live without something you rely on every single day.
And then, the moment you get it back, it feels like the happiest day of your life.
The thing is that nothing new has happened. You didn’t win the lottery. You didn’t suddenly get a dream life.
You just regained what was already yours and now you see it in a whole new light.
That’s the strange beauty of losing something. It wakes you up. It teaches you how to appreciate what you already have.
But here’s the question:
Do we really need to wait until we lose something to appreciate it?
I don’t think so.
And this is where gratitude comes in.
A lot of people give all their attention to their so-called “big problems.” They wake up thinking about what’s missing, what’s wrong, and what could be better.
The problem with that is simple: whatever you focus on grows. If you only focus on problems, you’ll find more problems.
But what if you flipped it?
What if, instead of pouring all your energy into fixing every little thing that goes wrong, you trained yourself to notice the things that are right?
This doesn’t mean ignoring reality. Life is messy, and we all face challenges. But you always have a choice where to place your attention.
You can try this instead:
The next time you feel stressed or overwhelmed, pause for a second.
Ask yourself: What’s one thing I’m grateful for right now?
It doesn’t have to be deep or dramatic. It could be the fact that you’re breathing. That you have food in your fridge. That someone texted you today. That you got to see the sun for a few minutes.
When you make this a habit, something powerful happens.
You stop waiting for loss to teach you a lesson. You start appreciating life as it is.
And the best part is the fact that gratitude makes problems feel smaller. It shifts your focus from what’s missing to what’s already there. Suddenly, the little annoyances that used to eat you alive don’t feel as heavy.
Because you realise something important: you already have so much.
You don’t need to wait for some big life event to wake you up. You can practice gratitude today. And tomorrow. And the next day. Until it becomes natural.
So here’s my reminder for you this week:
Take a second to notice what’s around you. Don’t wait until it’s gone to appreciate it.
Your task for tomorrow
Pick a specific time in your day - maybe right after your morning coffee or just before bed. Block out 5 minutes. Write down what you’re grateful for.
Don’t leave it floating in your head.
If you don’t set a time, it usually never gets done!!
Treat it like any other important task. Give it energy. Give it attention.
Even 5 minutes can shift how you see your whole day.
So don’t wait until life reminds you of what matters by taking it away. Start appreciating it now.
talk to you next week
- Ekaterina
