What if this valuable thing were gone?
Grow your appreciation by imagining life without what matters most.
We naturally take what we have for granted, whether it’s our partner, home, health, or small daily comforts like morning coffee. The more familiar something is, the easier it is to overlook its value. One way to bring appreciation back is to pause and ask:
🤔 What if this valuable thing were gone?
This question comes from a Stoic thought exercise called negative visualization. It invites us to briefly imagine life without something valuable. The goal of imagining loss isn’t to create fear or worry but to help us fully appreciate what we have right now.
When you catch yourself undervaluing something, pause and for just a few seconds vividly imagine it gone. If it helps and the situation allows, close your eyes to focus your mind. Picture life without your partner. Imagine your home no longer yours. Think of your health suddenly failing. How would your life change? What would you miss? How would that make you feel? After this brief reflection, gently bring your focus back to the present, noticing your breath or the feeling of the ground beneath you to ground yourself. If difficult feelings come up, notice them without judgment, allow them to be there, take a few deep breaths, and then either stop or return to the visualization.
Practicing this reflection regularly trains us to notice and value the familiar parts of our lives that often fade into the background. It grows our gratitude and deepens our contentment in what we have. At first, this exercise may feel uncomfortable or unsettling. That’s natural. Keep the reflection to just a few seconds and approach it with curiosity and self-compassion. Link it to a simple daily cue, like your morning coffee or bedtime routine. Avoid overdoing it; balance keeps the practice helpful and sustainable. This exercise helps remind us to treasure what’s here today, before it’s too late.
Give it a try today and see how it affects you.
