wake up call

I woke up at 3am to get ready for my trip to Mexico. I was tired, not happy with my fitness level to be in a swim suit, and feeling sorry for myself as I trekked out to meet my Uber an hour later. 

I chatted with the driver, telling her about my trip and how I don't understand my need to get early flights. 

That's when she said, "I've never been on a plane before."

You guessed it, I stfu. 

You see, I had been in sort of a bad place for a few months leading up to the trip, only coming out of it a little bit prior. I was feeling helpless, down about my situation, etc. etc. etc. 

I had come out of those thoughts, and remembered gratitude about a week before my Uber ride, and her words to me that morning were the icing on top of the cake. 

As I sat, complaining about my trip, unhappy with myself and my life — this girl had never even had the chance to board a plane. Had never gone farther than her car would take her. 

Talk about a wake up call.

We are inundated with images of our peers, our favorite bloggers, and celebrities all over social media. These images show us fabulous outfits, homes, experiences, and travel. Being inundated with these images, we are constantly exposed to what we don't have.

When we shut that off and look toward those less fortunate, the exact opposite occurs. We realize all we do have.

I have now been watching documentaries, reading, exposing myself to different issues in the world at a deeper level than before. I am trying to see where I can get involved and help those less fortunate. I am remembering what I have every day. 

It is hard to remember that the roof over our head, the car that gets us to work, and the warm meal on our plates is enough, when all we see is people climbing the Swiss Alps and drinking margs on the beaches of Bali. 

I get it. 

But we must. 

We must realize we are blessed, we must realize what we have. We must do this, so that we can help those that have less than us. So that we can reach and help people going through different forms of adversity.

This does not mean we are not allowed to strive for more, it simply means that we must constantly remember what we already have.

Gratitude, the buzzword we all love to use, it actually IS the secret to a fulfilling life. And I hope to never forget that again.