by Kristene A. Doyle, Ph.D.
So many songs have been written about this. So many clichés are out there about this. Yet until it happens to you, my guess is that we do what most do- ignore the concept. I recently underwent a medical procedure that has temporarily left me with very little upper body ability. Now that I don’t have it, I am literally astounded at how much I rely on, and have taken for granted, my mobility and strength. I write this blog today to urge all of our readers and followers to do one extraordinary thing for yourselves: appreciate what you have rather than focus on what you don’t. It’s too easy to think about and harp on what we don’t have. The problem with this type of approach is that it makes us feel lousy, often does not lead to making changes, and we lose sight, appreciation, and gratitude of what we do have. We’re never going to have everything we want, we won’t and don’t always get what we want, and life isn’t always going to treat us with the equity we often believe we deserve.
I am human, and although I practice REBT daily with my clients, I am fallible. As I hobble down the street with my dog LuLu pulling at me, I catch myself attending my one person pity party. And then I look across the street and see a woman in a wheelchair with no legs and suddenly I’m brought back down to reality. I am making a commitment to appreciate what I have, because in life, there are no guarantees.
