Get Off the Sidewalk

So many times in our lives we are told to appreciate what we have and to be grateful and while that is somewhat true, it is important to understand that unhappiness exists for a reason.

If we encountered a fish lying peacefully on the ground while suffocating, we would know there was something desperately wrong with that picture. Fish need water. A fish without water should not be content.

Over the past few months I have learned that you can appreciate what you have while aching for what is still missing. The fish can appreciate being alive while understanding that without water it will soon die. We can be grateful for a place to sleep while knowing that if we do not eat we will starve to death. We can be grateful for snow and understand that we need clothing to keep us warm while enjoying it's presence. The presence of one does not negate the absence of the other.

Don't spend your time trying to make yourself feel happy about a situation that deep down you know isn't right. Maybe you aren't supposed to be happy with it. Maybe you are supposed to be doing something different. Maybe you are the fish lying on a sidewalk, it is time to get off.