“Really? On a Saturday?” And Other Remarks on How To Have Gratitude In Hard Times
Written by: Hannah Sacrey
“Gratitude will shift you to a higher frequency, and you will attract much better things.”
-Rhonda Byrne
I recently travelled up north from Edmonton to visit my family and for a bit of a change of scenery for the weekend. I had packed a duffle bag and my school backpack full of my textbooks, pens, pencils, laptop, and endless anxieties about my mini mountain of schoolwork. At 7:00 am, I woke up early and started my tasks at the kitchen table. My brother came down the stairs to see me working and said, “Really? On a Saturday?” My knee-jerk reaction was to agree and to dread the seemingly endless amount of work that comes with a university degree. And for many students, this work feels ultimately rewardless and tedious.
It’s easy to fall into this mindset as a student and slip into burnout. However, I like to think about what past me would think about my current situation. I always think my past self would like to have my minor problems. As crazy as it sounds to present me, I’ve always wanted to attend university in a big city and work hard at something that I love, like my psychology major. I, of course, know I am fortunate to be able to have this outlook as my current problems aren’t big enough that I cannot handle them. It is a luxury that, unfortunately, not everyone can afford. Yet, I think it is essential to recognize how far we have come to experience this moment in our lives for the better or worse.
The odds of you being born are a result of an infinite number of scenarios from your parents meeting at the right time, their parents, and their parent’s parents. Not to mention the endless biological occurrences that must happen for you to be born. Being born as you are is a meagre chance at roughly 1 in 400 trillion. So yeah, it's rare and almost impossible that you are here today in 2023. These odds are not to say that you must be grateful for your life simply because you are living it. No, that is not my intention to tell you that because, honestly, life can suck sometimes.
These odds spur me on to make a difference in the small world around me from the people I meet, work with, and live with. It can be challenging to be grateful in rough times like this season, particularly for many students. However, I think we need to be thankful for the little things we do have and let the negative drive us to bigger and better things. Sounds easier said than done, right? Though never forget: You won the hardest lottery, the chance to live. So live to the best you can despite it all!
