Appreciate what you have. | Teen Ink

Appreciate what you have.

April 8, 2013
By mking22 BRONZE, Havertown, Pennsylvania
mking22 BRONZE, Havertown, Pennsylvania
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

I remember many days when I would let my greed take over all of my thoughts and actions. On days when I couldn’t get that new game that just came out. I wouldn’t want to speak to anyone, my mind was set on nothing but getting that game. I soon learned that my attitude would be different depending what it was that I wanted. If it was just a bag of candy at the supermarket that I couldn’t get I would get over it before I left the store, but if it was a new computer that I needed it could ruin my whole day, even my week. Over the past few years I noticed that there was really no point in letting something like that corrupt your mind and attitude.
To be able to live in this free country, have a warm roof over your head, and be able to eat your meals every day is not something that everyone has. Many struggle every day to put food in their stomach or have somewhere safe to live. It is awful that I would get so disappointed and angry about not getting a videogame when there are people starving and without homes or freedom. I began to think to myself that I should be thankful for what I do have, don’t grieve over what I don’t have. Considering most of the people in the world have it worse than I do.
A few years ago there was something I desired more than anything I ever had before. It was a MacBook Pro, but at that time it must have costed a couple thousand dollars for one laptop. It was something I asked to get on my birthday and put on my Christmas list three or four years in a row. Obviously it was just a little out of my family's budget, so year after year I would never end up getting it. It would ruin the holidays and my birthday because instead of enjoying the other great gifts I received and spending time with my family I would be depressed and angry. One day I had a moment of realization and after years of torturing myself thinking about how I didn't have a MacBook Pro. I changed my whole perception on desiring things. I looked around at the things in my bedroom and thought to myself that I did have a lot of great things. It made me feel selfish and foolish about all the time I spent only caring about what I didn't have.
I believe that desiring for things is not immoral, but the next time I am disappointed about not getting something I will always remember one thing. To take the time to value what I do have and forget about what I do not have. I feel that I have improved a lot from the way I used to be about this. I can handle myself better and not care at all if I don’t have something or didn’t get it. Now I feel that more people should think that way because it is better for the people around them and themselves. This is a great life lesson that has helped many people including myself and has the potential to help many others that will hopefully learn this valuable lesson soon.


The author's comments:
I hope people who read this learn the same life lesson that I did.

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