How to Appreciate and Value Yourself in Life
“Just stop it!” she ranted ” What you are doing to me is not right at all?”
This were the complaints of Mrs. Akombi after her husband arrived home at 3a.m in the company of two expensive call girls from a pub in town.
“Why do you even care? You fool!” Mr. Akombi barked.
This was an affluent couple that everyone in the neighborhood talked about. From a fleet of vehicles to high-end properties in town, nothing could hide their immense wealth.
On the contrary, their marriage was on the rocks.
Ivan, their firstborn son, was studying Mechanical Engineering at Pennsylvania State University. Their daughter, the last child in the home was studying medicine at a Russian university in Moscow.
Despite their shambolic marriage, the Akombis had everything you could desire in life.
Money to them was not a problem. What with the frequent flights to Zanzibar over the weekends.
So, here is a couple that everyone wants to be like but unfortunately to many people, that is not just how life works.
Have you ever wondered why the shortest or tiny people have the loudest voices? I stopped wondering the moment I realized nature has a way of striking a perfect balance amongst the living.
No wonder camels are meant for a drought, scarce environment, unlike buffaloes that will start collapsing in a couple of weeks in the same environment.
Below are six amazing ways you can employ to learn how to appreciate and value yourself in life. Read on.
- Learn to See the Good in You
You are hurting yourself very badly by only seeing the good in other people. The fact of the matter is that you are only seeing the good in other people because that is what they have allowed you to see but they will not tell you about their broken relationships, bad habits, chronic diseases, physically disabled relatives.
Therefore, in actual sense, you are doing yourself a great disservice by not appreciating the good in you and only seeing the good in other people.
2. Count Your Blessings
It is unfortunate that most of us just do not know how to count our blessings.
We have the skewed mentality that blessings are only the mega lifestyles we see around us. Nothing could be further from the truth. The posh car, bungalow, or career accomplishments could be someone else’s blessings but not everyone can count them as blessings by the fact that everyone is on a different path in life. You understand what I mean. Right?
By you learning to acknowledge the little things you have in life you set yourself up for bigger things in future. It means that even when the fat cheques start coming in you will still be content even when your neighbor on the south is building a three-storied bungalow that is already dwarfing your mansion.
You will still be able to count your friends, lovely family, health and peace when all you have is gone in the face of adversity.
3. See the Problems in Other People
I have not told you to stalk, pry or dig up on someone’s life like paparazzi. I find it interesting when you can only see the problems in you and only the good in others. How about seeing their problem too. Well, this is not to say that your problems will soon be gone but it will make you realize that life is not a destination but a journey and whatever challenges you are going through right now; be it financial, social, health wise someone already went through the harrowing experiences before.
To crown it, the discovery that he or she overcame the challenge will pump into you the energy to soldier on regardless of the pain or affliction.
4. Stop Taking Life Too Serious
“I must be rich by 25,” Jack chirped. Well, but what if by 25 Jack is not even a toe and shoulder close to riches? Is he going to kill himself?
The important thing to put in mind here is that plans may change because of other factors beyond our control like let us say a chronically ill loved one consuming high hospital bills, but the goal does not change only the period. Yes, maybe Jack’s goal was a SMART goal but who said other factors might not come in that may affect the specific time set.
In any given challenge, endeavor or task, despite the failure appreciate the fact that you tried and though you failed, you are in a better position to do better than the one who has never undergone the challenge before.
5. Find Joy in Voluntary Service
I am made to understand that one of the great habits in successful people is their penchant to offer themselves freely in terms of humble service, charity, philanthropy and so forth. In spite of their busy schedule, they will set aside time to give themselves out. I am not saying you should be rich to volunteer.
Start right now. Visit your church maybe over the weekend and help with cleaning or weeding flower gardens. Do shopping for a sickly, old neighbor who happens to be a widow too. It is said that some have given their way to riches. Take part in across the country race to raise money for the hunger-stricken. Fix that tire burst for the woman driver you found stranded in town.
Volunteering will give you the confidence and attitude of a problem solver, such that you will not be viewing life from a problematic perspective but you will be solution oriented. Rather, you will handle life like one handling a knife by the handle and not the blade.
6. Do Something Extraordinary for Yourself
A preacher ministering to his congregation told them, “Some of you are too uptight and always sad with your lives that you find it weird when you catch yourself smiling.” Hahah, “in fact, when you catch yourself smiling you cut yourself short and ask did I just smile?”
It is funny or rather pathetic that to some of us, life has been too hard that we find smiling to be like an abomination. Sorry if that is how far this life has brought you. It is a journey so do not despair yet. You will remember this when you reach the peak of it.
I hope you are not one of them. I used to wonder why the poor or rather the have-nots look jovial, can afford a 9pm to 7am sleep and are so confident of themselves. On the contrary, a millionaire in town is hardly sleeping, always chasing bigger goals than the previous, pensive most of the time and always flaring up at his/her employees
Is that really what a happy, appreciated and fulfilled life should be lived like?
Of course not.
You need to start appreciating your very sense of being alive and well by doing something extraordinary for yourself. This could be traveling to your dream destination, go camping or hiking with a buddy, treat yourself to a sumptuous meal in a fancy restaurant in town, visit interesting places such as the Maasai Mara.
If you have ever longed for a happy and fulfilling life start it from here at no cost at all. You just need a paradigm shift in your mindset, willingness to embrace change and a determination to appreciate life and hooray! You will be on your way to the most jovial person people have ever known.
