Half Full or Half Empty?
When I was in primary 5, I had this interesting kid sitting next to me–let’s call her Chika. Chika was annoyingly bubbly, tall for her age with skinny legs and long arms. Always on the noisemaker list, she never missed a chance to snicker at something. Despite her playful nature, she always topped the class. Our teachers would tease us “Keep playing with Chika, you hear. When you collect your report card, you will see” and we’d all scatter like startled birds.
Everyday at lunch break, just before we dashed out to play, Chika would whip out her home-cooked meal with all the glee in the world. She always had this huge smile like her mom’s food was the best and you couldn’t tell her otherwise!
But before Chika dug in, she always set aside a clump of rice–or whatever is in her stainless flask–the bit that gets stuck together. With utmost care, she’d place this morsel on the lid of her flask, saving it for last.
Curious as a cat, I once asked “Why do you always do that?” With a grin on her face, she answered simply, “That’s my meat”. At the time, I had laughed at the absurdity. How could a clump of rice ever pass for meat? They taste worlds apart. But now I see it.
It’s all about perception. Chika’s parents struggled financially. It wasn’t hard to tell even as a child—the worn-out state of her school uniform and how she was often sent home for unpaid school fees. Yet when I saw plain jollof rice, Chika saw a feast, finding value where others might see the opposite.
Chika taught me the importance of gratitude at a young age. To her, the food in her flask was made with love and it was hers to enjoy. It didn’t count if her parents couldn’t afford meat; she would create her own version, savoring every bite as though it was seasoned with luxury. This subtle shift in perspective brought her happiness and a satisfaction that, at the time, I couldn’t understand.
How you see life is exactly how life treats you. Do you see a glass as half full or half empty? When life throws you pitch curves, as it inevitably will, you’re responsible for how you handle them. Do you approach life’s challenges with gratitude, knowing someone, somewhere has it worse?
Chika’s story has reminded me to live in a state of constant gratitude and that has helped me navigate a difficult phase of my life. Life is hard, we all can accept that but realizing that our struggles, as real as they are, do not define us. That gratitude isn’t found in what you lack, but in appreciating what you already have.
Perhaps that relationship ending was a sign you needed self-improvement, that losing a job was the push you needed to start that business you always dreamed of, or that divorce was the beginning of a fresh start. Sometimes, all it takes is tilting your head just a tiny bit, adjusting your lens, and resetting your perspective to see a totally different picture.
In the wise words of J. Cole, ‘There’s no such thing as a life that’s better than yours”