The other day I woke up in London and decided to take a walk to the Whole Foods in Piccadilly to get some green smoothies. I put my iPod on shuffle and took a morning walk down the cobblestone streets. As soon as I stepped out the door, the normal everyday thoughts started popping into my head – I’m tired…I think I ate too much sugar yesterday…he hasn’t written back to my email yet…what’s going to happen when I get back to NYC…I haven’t bought ___ a gift yet…I haven’t been spending enough time working on my blog…It’s raining again…etc – etc – etc. Those thoughts started to give me a low level feeling of anxiety and dissatisfaction, like there’s always more to be done and things are never good enough. Can you relate?
Just as I was going through my list of things that needed “fixing,” a song came onto my iPod that made me stop in my tracks. “Good Life” by OneRepublic started blasting into my ears. And get this-
The first line of the song is “Woke up in London yesterday, found myself in the city near Piccadilly…” As that line played, I looked up and saw a sign reading “Piccadilly.” WHAT! I knew I was supposed to pay attention to this song’s message for me, and it changed my entire day. My entire week, even.
I couldn’t ignore the lyrics of the song.
“This has gotta be a good life
This could really be a good life, a good good life”
Over and over. A good, good life.
“We’ve all got our stories, but please tell me what there is to complain about.”
All of a sudden, I thought, what the hell! I’m an ass. I’m exploring a beautiful new city, listening to music, walking down the street to get smoothies for me and one of my best friends who brought me on this trip with her. This is a freaking GOOD GOOD LIFE. From that moment, instead of running down my list of things in my head that weren’t perfect, I started thinking of all the things I’m grateful for and that I appreciate. I have more than enough food and water and shelter. I have the money to go buy breakfast. I have people in my life who I love. I have the opportunity to travel. The list goes on. The more I thought about these wonderful things, the more uplifted my mood became – and the more I felt present in the moment, blessed and lucky. This was a totally different feeling than I started out with, and all it took was a mental gratitude list.
All the things I was worrying about are luxury problems. I mean, of course, terrible things happen and I’m not trying to belittle anyone’s pain, suffering, anxiety, heartbreak or depression. There is a time for being upset, taking action on things that aren’t working, fixing things, grieving, being frustrated, angry, etc. Believe me, I get it.
BUT – what I do know is that most of us spend a lot of our time way too anxious and worried about little things – luxury problems (many that we have no control over whatsoever) instead of finding joy and pleasure in the moment, appreciating the incredible blessings we have in this life.
If you’re able to read this blog on a computer, iPad, phone, whatever — that means you’re blessed too, and you probably have a lot to be grateful for. You’re ALIVE and you can choose to enjoy life. Make a list now of all the things you appreciate in your life, all the things that maybe you take for granted on a daily basis. Feel your mood rise immediately. Then share that goodness. Smile. Give someone a compliment. Forgive someone. Let something go. Appreciate YOURSELF and all the awesome things about you. The more you think about these high vibe things, the bigger your positive mood will become. This is a practice that definitely takes repetition, but it’s so so worth it.
Get inspired:
Listen to the song:
Can you relate to this? What are you grateful for today? I’d love to hear. xo
Danya says
This post rocks!
All so true. Love it and so do friends I know, Jenny! Thank you. <3
Stephanie says
Hahaha…I HAVE to laugh at this..its like the universe is literally slapping me in the face with this message. My mom said it to me the other day, my boyfriend said it this morning, & most recently, Twitter led me to your article. I’ve been in a funky space waiting for much promised “promises” to come true..not fearing economic insecurity & intuitively knowing how to handle situations which used to “baffle me”. I’ve been complaining & I haven’t been grateful..for anything. To top it off I’ve been FULL of anxiety I’ve definitely been acting like a “manic manifestor”. Your article helped me to remember that insistence is investment..all I have to do is start with one thankful thought & I’ll be on my way to better days. Thank you so much for posting this. I’m thankful I have eyes to read it & 10 fingers to type this message. Enjoy the rest of your time in London!!
Elisa says
I couldn’t agree more with you! An important part of my prayer practice are the lines:
I am grateful.
I am blessed.
Thank you!
Gratitude is the key to happiness!
Ali says
I was mid-luxury problem freak out when this article popped up…thank you:)
Elizabeth Lane says
Dear Jenny,
I loved this post! Synchronicity is amazing, isn’t it! Just when you needed a reminder most, that song popped up! I have had similar things happen and it always snaps me back right when I need it! I was just watching “Tangled” with my daughter and realized something– wouldn’t it be great if we always remembered that “happily ever after” was really happily right now! Thank you so much for this reminder!
Sincerely, Elizabeth
Rachel says
LOVE this post! So easy to get wrapped up in those thoughts and could always use the reminder to look at what you have! My husband likes to tell me that I’m never content. And on some level, I guess I’m not…there is always more to strive for, to be done, to fix, etc. But then I see my kids want, want, want, and I HAVE to put things in perspective for them, as well. It’s a work in progress :) Thanks for the reminder. Enjoy the rest of your time in London!
Elizabeth L. says
LOVE your post!! Thank you for being aware and then sharing with the world. :-) Makes for a beautiful reminder.
Shannon says
I just got the chills while I read this. So awesome!! Wake up call!
Michaela A. says
Great post! I have been trying to re-organize my life and not freak out about my small problems (oh no netflix is running slow!….sheesh). This article was much needed for me and many more should see this! Thanks!
Shannon Lagasse says
Love that song! And so true! I think it’s also interesting that luxury problems can be when we don’t allow ourselves nice things, like going out to buy a green smoothie. You know what I mean? Like, when you’re stuck in the mindset, “I could make it at home for $3 instead of spending $9.” And we do that with so many things in our lives. <3