It's All In Your Perception by Lisette

It's All In Your Perception by Lisette - January 2016 Scholarship Essay

“It's all in your perception. If you see your tasks in life as drudgery, then they are drudgery. On the other hand, if you see them as gifts of the Universe manifest through you, then your tasks are done in the spirit of love and generosity. You step out of your ordinary life and make it extraordinary. Little by little, you realize that your life truly makes a difference and you are filled with a wondrous sense of gratitude and abundant flow. A heavenly feeling, indeed!
Yes, it's all in your perception.”
—Susan Jeffers

What I find quite interesting that today in America there is a designated day which we are suppose to be thankful for. It implies that on every other day it is normal to be dissatisfied. And many people are naive to be too grateful: People everyday say things like “What do i have to be grateful for” or they never stop to acknowledge that what they have is something unattainable to someone else. These sentiments are quite common, that I had even been one of these people.

I attended school, went to work, and participated in clubs. It was the same routine everyday. I had always been expected to do these things never stopping to think about the opportunities I had been given. It was almost as if I was mindlessly going through my days hoping and waiting for better things to come. You see, as students we are always waiting. Waiting to finish high school, waiting to finish college, never really grasping the fact that we should be grateful for moments in the present.

When I had realized this, it was almost like a whole new light. I had realized how I never once stopped to be thankful for the things I had, and I had only done so when I narrowly avoided a bad consequence. Not only this but the mindset I had was beginning to take a toll on me as student. I never appreciated school and never thought of it as gift. Instead I would think negative about the school work I had and always procrastinate due to this. I wasn’t grateful enough.

But know that I am stepping into a knew year I am now utterly convinced that the key to success is the regular exercise of a single emotional muscle: gratitude. This is my New Year’s resolution in order to become a better student because n matter how wealthy or powerful a person may be, success and happiness depends on how someone approaches their life. This will help me in becoming a better student because even when I am struggling there will always be that shimmer of gratitude the can help me through my days

I once read this article about Geoffrey James speaking about the power of gratitude. He spoke about gratitude as “an emotional muscle,” one that can be used and strengthened. He notes, and I completely agree: “People who approach life with a sense of gratitude are constantly aware of what’s wonderful in their life. Because they enjoy the fruits of their successes, they seek out more success. And when things don’t go as planned, people who are grateful can put failure into perspective.”

I would add that people who are grateful not only seek out more successes, but they also draw success in.  When you are grateful, others like to be around you. Your appreciation includes them and you help them see the positive elements inherent in daily life They also begin to feel more hopeful about the possibility of future success.

With a positive mind you can go along way as a student. You may have your days, but even those days can show you what you have in life to be thankful for . Another fascinating thing about gratitude – it has no upper limit, as far as I can tell.  You can be as grateful as you want to be.  And what better time to start this New Year?