It’s been said many a time, and yet I’ll say it again: I miss my best friend, I miss my family, I miss my dog, and guess what? If you’re reading this, I’m sure you do too.
It wasn’t until my second year at Carleton that the initial allure wore off, and I was left with the realization of, exactly what am I doing here? Why am I studying at a university six hours away from the people I love who have shaped me into who I am today? It became clear to me that I was very homesick, coming home four times during the Fall semester. My best friend pointed out that I often sported a “poor me” attitude. It got me thinking about gratitude, and here’s why I’m telling you what I wish I knew back then.
Moving away from home to attend university can mean a lot of different things for different people. That being said, exposure to unfamiliar environments and people comes with many new opportunities, but with that also comes an influx of emotions, both good and bad. In those moments, it is easy and almost second-nature for some to look to the past and what they know best, causing them to diminish the value of their current environment for one that is more favourable in their minds. The importance is to know that it is okay to miss someone or something, but not let it hinder what’s to come.
That feeling of longing never really does go away. Whether I’m meeting new people, attending events, or even visiting unfamiliar coffee shops, I catch myself getting sad that I can’t share it with my best friends. Thus, why I cannot stress the value of gratitude enough. I am privileged in so many ways. Whether that be to have a wonderful group of individuals who support and love me, or to have a bed to sleep in at night, I acknowledge that, because it is what keeps me going everyday. According to licensed clinical social worker, psychotherapist, and college psychology instructor, Amy Morin from Psychology Today, a 2014 study published in the Journal of Applied Sport Psychology found gratitude increased athletes’ self-esteem, which is a crucial component of distinguished performance.
If you retain anything from this article, let it be this: when you find yourself feeling resentful, unhappy, or downright negative, express gratitude. Change your perspective. When I find myself saying: “Ugghhhh, another 12 page essay!” I try to remind myself how lucky I am to be taught by distinguished individuals and to attend an academic institution that allows me to enhance my skills. Believe me I know, it’s easier said than done, and we all have bad days. It’s when I started having more bad days than good, that I knew it was time to appreciate all the good in my life.
I leave you with a personal favourite of mine right now about gratitude, a lyric from Zach Bryan’s Lucky Enough (poem):
If I’m lucky enough I’ll get through hard things
/ And they will make me gentle to the ways of
the world.