The balance between gratitude and growth

By Daniel Francis

Stepping into this new year, most of us, if not all, are thinking about how we can upgrade ourselves. My last article would have focused on that topic. However, there is a notion that I don’t want us to lose in our pursuit of greater. I came across an excerpt that embodied this notion perfectly. It goes:

“The married ones are thinking of divorce…while the unmarried wish to be married. The unknown wants fame…while the famous wants privacy. The young want to grow old…while the old wish they could turn back time. The poor want to become rich…while the rich wish for the peace they lost. The grass will always seem greener…but nothing grows without watering it. The truth is…no one has it all. But everyone has enough…if only we stopped and took a moment to see it.”

I think it was timely that I saw this excerpt to share it with all of you. It talks about the work we must put in to “water” our grass, meaning to get to greener pastures we must put in the work.

We do not simply stumble into a better life. Well, some do but let us focus on the vast majority of people. To create a better life means intentional, consistent work.

But the excerpt also mentions that we have enough, and we must learn to identify this fact and to be grateful for it. There is great power in this simple act.

There will always be bigger and better. There will always be more that can be made. The pursuit of greater is constantly evolving because as we reach one milestone, we typically update our exploits to what lies beyond that to achieve greater heights.

This reminds me of a concept in math called an ‘asymptote’. An ‘asymptote’ is a line in which a curve approaches as tends to infinity. So essentially when you have a horizontal asymptote, the curve in the line will approach the x or y axis or approach infinity but the line never reaches it.

It is the perpetual pursuit of perfection. Not saying that this is a bad thing, but I am simply pointing out that if we are unable to be grateful for what we have at each level of development, it is likely that we will not enjoy the fruits of our labour when we reap them.

Our likely next move would be to think of what’s next as opposed to stopping to take a moment and seeing how green our grass has become and enjoying it.

Having that appreciation for what you have built and understanding in that moment, even though you do not have everything, it is okay because you have enough—this is a grounding moment.

Yes, achieve greater but also learn to foster appreciation and enjoy what you have, or you will find that you have lost your peace in pursuit of better. This is also a reminder of why prayer is so important. When in conversation with God, He will show us how much we have to be grateful for.

I typically start all my prayers by thanking God for the different blessings that He has bestowed upon my life. It always puts me in a position of gratitude and knowing that even though I may be praying for Him to help me reach new heights, I know that what I have is worth celebrating and enjoying.

You are enough.

I am enough.

We are enough.

So, make this year great but always remember what God has placed in your life.

Daniel Francis is a millennial helping other millennials. He is a two-time author of the books The Millennial Mind and The Millennial Experience, and an entrepreneur. Over the past four years, he has served as a Personal Development Coach whose work targets Millennials and helps them tap into their full potential. He is also a self-publishing coach and has guided hundreds on self-publishing their book successfully.

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Email: themillennialmind2020@gmail.com