The Appreciation Of Not Having What You Don't Want

A cup of hot water at hand with pieces of crushed ginger bathing in it. It is my second of the day. This is an attempt to soothe a sore throat that I've been nursing for the third day now. The past few days felt like I was in a thick cloud of haze with all the coughing and sneezing. I don't like being sick. Being unable to move and do the things I do on a regular basis is a terrible feeling. But it forces me to zoom out a bit and long for the normal days that I don't fell ill. It's interesting how whenever I'm sick and flat tired on bed, all my desires seem to be thrown out the window. Nothing else seems to matter at that point. No places to go, no things to acquire, no elaborate goals to achieve. I just want to be well – immediately.

The default mode is to think of all the things that we want to add in our life. That's all good and well of course. But as I chug on this salabat, I started to ponder about all the things that I don't want to have in my life, and which I'm indeed fortunate enough to not have.

I don't want a debilitating pain in my legs or feet that prevents me from moving with my own strength. I don't want to need eyeglasses to see clearly. I don't want a huge debt caused by an irresponsible financial misstep. I don't want to have tinnitus. I don't want to go to the office five days a week. I don't want to have diabetes. Heck, I don't want a stinky feet.

Achieving and wanting for better things are what helped us got here as a society. We would still be hunting for every meal and living in caves if that was not the case. But sometimes it's good to step back, look around, and have a great appreciation of not having the things that you don't want in your life.