Gratitude Isn’t a Chore — It’s a Game-Changer
Why we always want more (and forget to be grateful)
Hiroyuki Sanada once said:
“There are those who want a swimming pool in their home, while those who have it barely use it.”
“Those who have lost a loved one miss them deeply, while others who hold them close often complain about them.”
“Who doesn’t have a partner longs for it, but who has it, sometimes doesn’t value it.”
“He who is hungry would give everything for a plate of food, while he who has plenty complains about the taste.”
“The one who doesn’t have a car dreams it, while the one who has it always looks for a better one.”
“The key is to be grateful, to stop looking at what we have and to understand that, somewhere, someone would give everything for what you already have and don’t appreciate.”
— Hiroyuki Sanada
What’s the problem?
The problem?
You’re the fucking problem!
You’ve got this minor issue of never being satisfied with what you’ve got.
Whether it’s your house, your relationship, your car, or the fact your coffee wasn’t brewed with the tears of angels.
You’re always looking over the fence and wondering why your neighbour’s grass is so green.
(It’s probably fake grass, Steve.)
What you’re dying to ask about it:
Why am I never content with what I have?
Why do I always feel like I need more? (You don’t.)
How can I start being more grateful for what I have?
Is it normal to be this much of a whiny prick? (Hint: No.)
Let’s dive in, shall we?
1. The pool you begged for but never swim in
You know the one.
You fantasised about it for years — crystal clear waters, a perfect spot for your made-up daily laps.
You finally get it, and… surprise!
It’s now just a high-maintenance puddle where leaves go to die.
That’s life in a nutshell — we crave the fancy stuff, but once it’s in our lap, it’s as exciting as watching paint dry on a humid afternoon.
If you’ve got a pool, use the damn thing.
Or admit you just wanted it for an Instagram post.
2. The loved ones you bitch about but miss when they’re gone
Listen, we’ve all been there — fighting with a loved one over the TV remote, silently praying they’d just evaporate for five minutes.
But let them actually disappear from your life, and suddenly you’re missing their weird habits.
You’re crying over every little thing they ever did.
That’s human nature for you: we’re assholes until life smacks us upside the head and teaches us the hard way.
Moral?
Appreciate your people before they become a memory — or at least before they ghost you for someone less whiny.
3. The partner you’ve been taking for granted
You’re lying there at night, listening to them snore like a congested lawnmower, thinking, “Maybe single life wasn’t so bad.”
Meanwhile, someone out there is just dying to Netflix and chill with anyone who doesn’t ghost them after three messages.
If you’ve got someone who puts up with your shit and texts you back?
Don’t screw it up.
Relationships aren’t perfect, but neither are you.
4. Complaining about food when someone’s starving for it
Have you ever sent back a plate of food because it wasn’t “Instagram-worthy?”
Oh, you’re a real gem.
Meanwhile, someone out there would happily eat your undercooked, soggy fries with a side of gratitude.
The fact that you’re even able to complain about food means you’ve already got it pretty good.
Next time your meal’s not chef’s kiss, take a breath and thank the universe that you’re not bartering kidneys for a crust of bread.
5. Dreaming of a better car while someone else is praying for a bus pass
We all know that feeling — you finally get a car, but after a few months, you’re side-eyeing the neighbour’s new wheels, thinking, “I need an upgrade.”
Meanwhile, someone out there would be thrilled with your “old, boring” car, as long as it gets them from A to B without having to play “Will the bus be late?” every morning.
Life lesson?
Be grateful you’re not hoofing it on foot while everyone else zooms past you.
What’s the solution to this constant craving for more?
The answer is mind-blowingly simple, yet shockingly hard to implement: be fucking grateful, you dick.
I know, I know — gratitude sounds like some woo-woo, kumbaya nonsense.
But here’s the thing: while you’re out here crying about your subpar Wi-Fi signal, someone else would literally trade places with you in a heartbeat.
Gratitude is about stopping the endless search for “better” and realising you’re already sitting in a winning position.
You just haven’t noticed because you’re too busy throwing side-eye at what you don’t have.
And what are the benefits of this gratitude thing?
Let’s not pretend this is all sunshine and rainbows.
Gratitude doesn’t mean settling for mediocrity — it means realising you’re not in the fiery pits of despair while you’re chasing “more.”
You get to:
Sleep better — Maybe you’ll finally stop staying up at 2 AM thinking about all the things you don’t have.
Stress less — Turns out, focussing on what you already have reduces the urge to stress-eat an entire pizza (but no promises).
Be a better human — When you stop acting like an entitled prick, people might actually want to be around you.
Feel happier — And not in that fake, forced, plastered-on-smile way. Real, actual contentment, like you’re not going to combust from internal dissatisfaction.
So, what’s next?
Gratitude.
That’s what’s next.
And not in some airy-fairy way that involves dancing in fields of lavender (unless that’s your thing).
Real, honest, brutal gratitude.
Look at what you have.
I guarantee that somewhere out there, someone would love to have your problems.
You’ve got a pool you don’t swim in, food you nitpick, and people you take for granted.
Time to flip the script and start appreciating it all, before you’re stuck in regret city, population: you.
Bonus question for you:
What’s one thing you’ve been bitching about lately that, if taken away, would make you realise how good you actually had it?
Yeah, that one thing.
You thinking about it yet?
Good.
Now go appreciate the fuck out of it, you selfish bastard!
Final kick up the ass
Now that I’ve made you feel guilty about your own ungrateful habits, it’s time to do something about it.
Put down your phone for a minute (yes, now) and take a look around.
What’s the one thing you’ve been taking for granted lately?
Oh, yes — it’s my articles…
Now stop acting like they’re an annoying background prop and start giving them the attention they deserve.
Subscribe to the (UN)BROKEN.
While you’re at it, make it a daily practice to appreciate at least one thing before you go back to grumbling.
If you’re still hungry for more sarcasm, life lessons, and mental brain farts, don’t be shy — hit that subscribe button.
Because you can complain about everything else, but trust me, you won’t regret that.