Count Your Blessings!

I have two absolutely lovable and too-perfect-to-have-spawned-me parents. I can read and write in English, Hindi and Bengali. I have read oh-so-many books and have heard scores of songs. I love singing and people don't fall dead when I do sing. I have thoroughly enjoyed every moment of my school life, and now, I have an even more charming college life. I have everything that I can ever wish for, a functioning smartphone, a satisfactory pair of earphones, an amazing Kindle, a much-loved speaker, a beautiful laptop, a decent amount of money in my wallet at all times; you get the picture.

I wanted the 10 watt speaker. I wanted the On-Ear Sony Headphones. I wouldn't mind a One-Plus phone. I could've gotten a better laptop. I want all the best-selling novels from my favourite authors. Please gift me the latest collection of Lakme's Nail Paints. It's about time I leave this country and tour the World. I wish I had one of those cool cousins who have a Netflix or an Amazon Prime account that they would gladly share with me. Or better yet, parents who gift me subscriptions to these on my birthday. I could do with more money in my bank account. I wish I could fly back to my home from college more often. I wish my parents would surprise me by paying me visits in my college. If only I had everything that I wished for!

I am another one of those mindless drones, who functions just to want more. I am good at creating 'I-need-this' illusions. I am also equally good at believing that things that I want are actually things that I need. I refuse to see every good thing that's happened to me. I excel at highlighting only the negative parts of my life by putting them in bold while writing, by shouting them out as counterarguments every time someone tries to talk me into being happy, by bringing them up in every conversation with my parents in the hope that I will finally get everything that I crave. I once heard someone talk about 'counting your blessings'. I can't comprehend the depth or the meaning of those three words. Every time I flail my arms around to grab things that I am better off without, I sink deeper into the quicksand of mindless desires.

Material blessings are always received in plain-sight. There's no sublime beauty in money. That is probably why we keep yearning for more, sometimes even right after we have been blessed with a lot of it. On the contrary, there's always beautiful undertones of happiness in every blessing that comes as a disguise. Be it the puppy that trips over its own legs while trying to keep up with you as you skip along to your home; be it glaze of tears that slowly closes over the eyes of that hungry kid as you hand him the food you couldn't finish at the restaurant; or be it the bear-hug of that friend you forgave though she had once gone behind your back, who has now pledged her undying loyalty to you, who has given you a most selfless friendship in return; both small and big blessings have a way of burrowing through to your heart and leave you feeling grateful for the joys that you have in your life.

Embrace every little thing of beauty that life pushes your way. Know that at all times, there's someone who has it way worse than you do, but they have probably found their share of happiness in something else. You will probably find a thousand reasons to be unhappy, but there are a million more hidden reasons to smile.

Make it a mission in your life to smile, and to spread the smile.
And smile you will, if you count your blessings, even the ones in disguise!!