Ah, Thanksgiving. My favorite holiday of them all. While the popular opinion of America would be that Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year, I disagree. Thanksgiving is such a humbling holiday. It’s a time to appreciate that and those in your life that you are truly grateful for with words and actions rather than presents and (dare I say it) over-commercialization.

It’s a time that all Americans, regardless of religion or ethnic background can all come together and give thanks for being brought up in the Land Of The Free. It’s a time to stuff our faces with Turkey, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, Stuffing, (if you’re Italian like my family, lots of Wine), Cranberry Sauce, and Pies galore. It’s a time to just come in, sit down, and be appreciated as you are, all the while spreading love.

With everything going on in the world right now, it’s easy to overlook the good in life. I like to think of myself as a pretty optimistic person, and even I have been struggling to keep positive in this deeply hardening time. While ISIS has yet to attack the United States, despite their threats, their attacks on France have left us heartbroken and paranoid just in time for the holidays. While it is impossible to change the past or remove these events from our minds and hearts, it is possible to attempt and see the good in our lives and remember things we have to be thankful for. Though there are some who would argue that focusing on Thanksgiving at a time like this would make us selfish, I completely disagree. If anything, focusing on Thanksgiving and things in life we can be thankful for makes us stronger. It shows that as a country, we stand united at there is no way to knock our spirits.

Here are 5 little things that we can all be thankful for this Thanksgiving in case you’re having a hard time remembering.

1. You are alive. Life is a beautiful, precious thing. To have a soul and a body with boundless opportunities is an unexplainable blessing. The recent Isis Attacks should only make us more aware of this. At least 128 innocent lives were taken in Paris this month in the blink of an eye. Humans are not invincible, contrary to what we’d like to believe. Life is not a guarantee, so appreciate it. If you are unhappy with yours, do something about it, and be thankful that you can.
2. You are loved. Corny, but true. Think about your life. Think about how much you have impacted those surrounding you. Love comes in all shapes and forms. Whether it be Agape (the love of humanity), Storge (family love), Pragma (love which endures), Philautia (self-respect), Philia (shared experience), Ludous (flirting, playful affection), or Eros (romantic or erotic love), there is so much love in each of our lives. It’s easy to look past and undermine these types of love because the emotion itself is so broad that we as humans have a hard time even understanding the full meaning of the word.
3. Your ability to empathize. Empathy (by definition) is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another, and it is a beautiful, beautiful quality to embody. Empathy is what connects us to one another and helps us form our relationships. Have you ever felt sad solely because a loved one feels sad? Or how about for a character in a movie? Or a family on the different end of the world that you’ve never met nor know nothing about? Feeling the feelings of another soul speaks miles for ones character. If you’re someone who is able to empathize, be thankful. There are many who can’t.
4. 4.Life is filled with smiles and laughter. In this disheartening time for the world, it is vital to smile and laugh. Seeing a beautiful smile or hearing a sincere laugh can change the whole atmosphere of a room. Laughter makes the heart lighter, and the fact that we all have the ability to laugh is a gift. A genuine smile can convey more emotion than intended. There are little things in life to smile and laugh at. A corny joke, a delicious desert, an embarrassing mistake, a brand new life, a gorgeous girl, a handsome man. If you look hard enough, it is possible to find light in almost any situation. Imagine a life where no one smiled or laughed. Be thankful.
5. 5. You are you. So much of our time is spent critiquing ourselves and wishing we were somebody else. This is something we, we meaning the whole human race, have to work on. You are you for a reason. You are special. You are important. You are unique. You are beautiful. I don’t mean to sound like a broken record, but you have so much to offer in this world. We all do. I’m a firm believer that everyone has a destiny and that they were put here to fulfill it. That includes YOU. Start being thankful for yourself, and go out and live the life you were meant to live.