“Happiness is a choice we make in advance,” according to Mother Teresa. Many of us are either living in the past or worrying about the future; we rarely live in the present 🌷. I was once like that—always thinking about what next and stuck on missed opportunities, to the point that it hindered my growth. That was until I listened to Dr Munroe’s talk on gratitude 💐.
Those few minutes of listening to those powerful words changed my view of life ❤️. It was then that I realised the true meaning of the Igbo name “nkemjika”, meaning the one I have is the greatest, and the Igbo maxim “Taa bu gboo”—Today is early enough to start 🌸.
When you shift your mind from lack and start appreciating what you have, only then will you be filled with the motivation and willpower to accomplish whatever you desire in life 🌺. This is how gratitude changed my life, dear friends 💖. It is important to know that gratitude is not about pretending everything is perfect or forcing yourself to feel happy all the time 🌼. It is about learning to notice what’s already good—even in the midst of uncertainty ❤️.
What changed first was not my circumstance; I changed before it followed 🌷.
It started gradually. By regularly acknowledging small positives—a calm morning, a kind message, a moment of laughter—I began to interrupt my constant mental loop of stress and lack 🌸. Gratitude gave my mind somewhere else to rest 💕.
This simple act of focusing on what went well changed the way I experienced everyday life 🌼. I became more present. Instead of rushing through moments, I noticed them 🌺.
Additionally, I became more resilient. Difficult days still happened, but they didn’t consume me the way they used to 💖.
By being grateful, I became more contented—not complacent, but grounded 🌷. Gratitude didn’t lower my ambitions; it softened my anxiety. It reminded me that my worth wasn’t tied only to what I needed to overcome or my achievements ❤️. My circumstance did not change until I changed my perception and approach to things 🌸.
Therefore, if you want to change your situation, start with yourself by cultivating the act of being grateful—to God, to yourself, and to circumstances designed to shape you 💐.
Here are some simple exercises to start doing 🌺:
- Write down three things you are grateful for each day, whether big or small 🌸.
- Pause before reacting. Ask yourself, “What’s still okay right now?” and don’t rush to answer it ❤️.
- Express it outwardly—thank someone out loud, in a message, or in a note 🌷.
- Notice the ordinary. Most of life’s goodness hides in plain sight 🌼. It doesn’t matter if gratitude comes easy or feels forced—both count. Be grateful 💖.
In conclusion, gratitude didn’t remove challenges from my life 🌺. It didn’t make everything easy or comfortable. What it did was change how I showed up ❤️. It taught me that happiness isn’t found only in big wins or future milestones; it lives in the present—often in moments we overlook 🌸.
So if you are feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or constantly chasing “enough,” gratitude might not be the solution you expect, but it could be the shift you need 🌷.
Start small. Start honestly. Give it time 💕.
We have a saying in Igbo language: “E ekene dike na nke o mere o mee ozo.” When you show gratitude to a brave one for what he did, he will do greater things for you 🌸. That dike (brave person) is the God in you—and you reading this message ❤️. Appreciate your little beginnings and the challenges life throws at you. Don’t allow them to hinder you; build a better version of yourself from them 🌺.
There is no day everything will be perfect, but if we appreciate what we have today, it will keep getting better 🌷. Ya gazie..
I remain your friend and brother 💖,
Maazi onuora obodoechi 🌸
Pen it down. 