Are you a glass half full or glass half empty type of person? When someone breaks up with you, do you immediately seek revenge or rather do you choose to reminisce about the memories and embrace the relationship as a life lesson? When you don’t get the job, do you sulk for days or use it as an opportunity to improve your resume for next time? Do you focus on what you don’t have or what you are so fortunate to already own?
Okay, well I don’t think anyone looks at their glass as half full one hundred percent of the time, rather some days we see it fuller than others. And that’s totally healthy, as long as we spend the majority of our time appreciating and less of our time depreciating our lives. I moved to New York City a little over a year ago for school and it’s a funny place for sure. The wealth gap is beyond prevalent. I look up and I see women with Prada bags and red bottom shoes stepping in to their own private luxury cars, but then I look down and see a man using a card board box as a blanket. Every single day, on my walk to classes or work I catch glimpses of these images at least five or more times. But then there are people like me, aspiring students and artists, not scraping by any means but also not rolling in any dough, that’s for sure. When you are someone who sits in the middle, such as myself, it is so important to look up, to wish for more for yourself, and to aspire to achieve great things by pushing your abilities. You have to look up in order to make progress in your career, your passions, and yourself. But often times, we’re stretching our necks so high up to get a glimpse of that lifestyle that it begins to hinder us. It may start to drive you into a negative headspace, opening up room for jealousy of those who already have that life. It may encourage anger, frustration, and resentment for the life you’re currently living or the things you’re lacking. It may invite room for a lethargic attitude due to how tiring and time consuming the journey has been. Luckily, when you feel your neck seizing up from stretching it so high, there’s quite a simple remedy you can use before those negative and ungrateful thoughts pool in. You’ve just got to look down. Remind yourself, there are people with so much less than you, that are struggling so hard to survive that they can’t even bother to look up and strive for anything more. Remind yourself that you have a roof over your head, clothes on your back, shoes on your feet, strong relationships in your life, a breathtaking world to view daily, a healthy and able body, a brilliant mind, goals to achieve, and a warm smile that you probably need to share a little more than you currently are ;) Now, with that being said, I want to challenge you to go a little further than just looking down. Once you have reminded yourself of the fact that you already have so much to celebrate in your own life, I challenge you to give someone else something to celebrate. It can be as simple as bringing a gift to a friend you know is going through it, making dinner for a family dealing with a terminal illness, or giving your leftovers to a homeless man on the street. It can be as grand as making a charitable donation, volunteering your spare time, or helping someone get on their feet. Personally, I like to do volunteer work around the city. This week I have decided to get together with some friends and make packs with food and water for the homeless people we will pass by either in the subways or on the streets. You can contribute something big or small, or nothing if you don't want to or can't at the moment. Just don’t forget to look down every once in a while. Love Always, Jen
1 Comment
Nicoley
9/30/2019 11:10:46 pm
You are the best!! This post is inspiring and you’re so cool! (Sorry it took so long for me to read hehe) I LOVE YOU
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Jenavieve Anna Capri
Hi guys, I just wanted to pop in and let you know a few things about me. I'm a Commercial Dance major at Pace University. I nanny on the side to help me afford living in this beautiful city. I live by the three Ts - Trader Joes, TJ Max, and Target. If it's salted caramel anything, I will gladly put it in my mouth. In my eyes Disneyland is the OG and Disney World will never compare. Hopefully, you'll choose to continue to get to know me more through these blog posts and my social media. Connect With Me:
Instagram: @jenannacapri25 |