Appreciation.

Just read one of my friend's blog and saw a meaningful post targetting mainly at this little but powerful word, "Appreciation". Very thought-provoking.

How often does one take time off to appreciate things around him/her, or even surrounding people?

The curse of modern life is the lack of appreciation. This deficit has caused many breakdowns in inter-personal relationships, at work, in families and sadly, probably also in the bond with your Almighty One.

Let me ask, who ever wakes up in the morning (in this case, afternoon for me) and tell yourself that you are glad to see this beautiful world once again? To feel the warm embrace of the beautiful sun, to smell the sweet-smelling rain, to see your friends on MSN talking to you happily and to see your parents smiling at you?

How many of you who are religious, pray to your Almighty One before you close your eyes for the day and say," Dear God, I thank You for what I've seen today, talked to today and for my friends who stood by me all these while when I was down."

How many of you actually take time off to appreciate whatever depressing things you had gone through and say," I am glad I had went through these rollercoaster rides because I had emerged stronger."

How many of you actually take time off to appreciate what your family, your friends and the strangers along the street (you've met and helped you with something) and say," I am thankful for those people I had interacted with and encountered. I am glad they had crossed my path and made me learn something new."

And lastly, how many of you take time off to pray, appreciate and give thanks for the fact that Singapore is still Singapore today; uninvaded and prospering by the day, for the fact that the sun still rises and shines vibrantly, for the fact that Singapore is a safe place to live in, for the fact that we have a nice environment to stay and grow in and lastly, for the fact that we are still alive?

Last but not least, for couples. How many of you actually appreciate each other for who they are, what they do and what they say? Or do you strive to change them to suit your liking? Or do you have the propensity to compare and say," dear, you are too possessive, unlike XXX's other-half." Or does your heart flutters because you had met someone more eligible than your present love?

Your present love is as good as it can get. Remember, you are with that special someone because of who he/she is initially. Changing someone to suit your emotional, physical preferences or even daily lifestyle is as good as making him/her live under your shadow. There's no life, no freedom of expression and these make up to be a potent concoction of deceit that changes your partner (probably forever).

Indeed, the curse of this modern world is the lack of appreciation.