Within 4 walls

It is all too easy to be dissatisfied with our lives, all too easy to wish for more, to desire to be stronger, smarter, prettier. Generally this dissatisfaction arises from comparison- we look around and see the success of others, and suddenly, all our talents and blessings pale in the face of others'. We find ourselves terribly wanting and all at once, every facet of our lives is tainted with discontent. What was formerly deemed as a gift mocks us with its imperfection. Little blessings are brushed aside. Small shortcomings transform into glaring inadequacies. Happiness, as we then discover, is relative.

But is it really?

If we step back and take a more global, more holistic view of things, we realise how much we have been blessed with. We don't have to live in constant fear of persecution, don't have to worry about next month's rent, don't even have to give a thought about where our next meal is coming from. We have proper sanitation, clean water, nice houses, proper education and even enough to spare for the occassional pampering at spas or indulging our gastronomic passions.
We are blessed beyond measure.

But it's so easy to forget though, isn't it? Especially in the midst of our exams, in the midst of our "sufferings", how blessed we really are.

And so this reflection serves as a timely reminder-whether it be a happy, carefree day, or a long, exhasuting one, I must remember to be grateful.