The recent events in my life has made me question my values. Losing my trust in those around me is difficult. I realized that I cannot go about my day without exercising precautionary measures. I also had to assess what has caused these events to transpire. I had to reflect on how I dealt with people. It involved a lot of quiet time, which I am fortunate to have in my job. However, things are open-ended and the people involved do not want to put additional security measures because they value their privacy. For now, I am doing my best to exercise diligence and prudence to minimize similar events from happening again.
I have had the difficult choice of either waking up with hatred in my heart or with a sense of gratitude. I am glad I chose the latter. I pray. I focus on one thing that I am thankful for. This morning, I woke up to terrible menstrual cramps, but I chose to thank God for another chance to workout and yes, it motivated me to actually exercise thereafter. The videos I chose earlier were more challenging than usual. I could have given up, but I buckled down until my whole body was burning. I still have cramps as I am writing this, but I am no longer focused on the pain. Rather, I am thinking of how my workout has enabled me to move and hustle. And since today is Friday, I am comforted by the fact that all this effort is worth it. I deserve to chill out this weekend.
I do not advocate waking up with hatred or bitterness. It will make you lose focus on what matters most, and it deviates you from your priorities. You need to exert effort to be thankful at times, but I assure you that this is worth all the mindfulness. Gratitude makes you a better person on the inside, and if you continue practicing thankfulness, it will inevitably become a habit. You will also be a better person on the outside because being habitually grateful makes you smile more, even during tough times. Never lose sight of your blessings, and you will always find yourself blessed.