Let’s appreciate the little things in life

By Nurin Najmina Zaidi

In life, it is normal to feel appreciated whenever something good happens to us. We feel grateful whenever someone buys us food, grateful when we are given an allowance from our parents, grateful whenever we achieved the highest result, or grateful when we went out with our friends for fun.

But do we only appreciate the ‘good’ things that happen to us? I believe that not all good things, especially the more significant ones, always happen daily. There would be a day when there is not a single good thing that happens to you, and you still need to carry on your life.

When I was a teen, I always believed that we should start appreciating whenever good things happen to us. So, I always waited for that moment to happen just so I can finally appreciate something good happening in my life at least. For example, maybe my parents will take me on a vacation, or maybe I will finally get a prize after studying so hard.

However, as I grew up, I realized that sometimes even the smallest things can be something that we should appreciate a lot. For example, as I walked toward my mahallah, I realized that the sky was bluer and more beautiful than usual.

For other people, the sky seems normal since we all basically live under the same sky and see it every day. But for me, seeing the sky so blue somehow makes me feel at peace.

This picture was taken without a filter

Other than that, walking around the campus alone also makes me feel happy. It is not that I do not want someone to accompany me, or I do not have friends. It is just that being alone while enjoying the surroundings around over me somehow makes me feel content.

Especially when I am the type of person that likes to explore things whenever I want. Teasing my sister or simply just sitting together with my family are also some of the things that I like to do whenever I returned home.

Not only that, reading books, watching K-Drama, or doing nothing at all, especially during the weekend is also one of my favorite me-times when I do not have any upcoming assignments. It allows me to enjoy the day without feeling guilty.

Leisure activities are not the only ones that we should appreciate. Sometimes appreciating ourselves is another way to look at our life in a positive light. As a student, we have the tendency to ignore our health or take care of ourselves like eating for the sake of finishing our assignments or catching up on our classes. 

So, when you are caught getting sick to the point of not being able to do your work, you have to force yourself to go to the clinic. If you are unlucky, the clinic would probably be full of people who also need medical help which causes you to wait for a little bit longer.

Thus, having good health is also something that we should be grateful for as we are able to do anything that we want without any difficulties.

In Surah Luqman verse 12 mentions:

Indeed, we blessed Luqman with wisdom, saying, “Be grateful to Allah, for whoever is grateful, it is only for their own good. And whoever is ungrateful, then surely Allah is Self-Sufficient, Praiseworthy.”

The point is, we tend to focus on something that happens in front of us and tend to overlook the smallest things these days. Just as the surah above mentions, when I started to be grateful for everything, even simple things, my heart becomes more at ease and content.***

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