“Blessings on blessings on blessings; look at my life, man, that’s lessons on lessons on lessons.” --Big Sean

Every day, hour, minute, and second of every single day, I find a new reason why I am blessed. Whether that be as small as me getting the last cinnamon-sugar bagel from Einstein’s or as big as sitting in environmental science class and realizing how lucky I am to even have running water.

A blessing is a blessing no matter how big or small, but what truly makes this important is being able to find the blessing in each one of your gray clouds. Let's say you had a bad day. You might have failed a test and it may seem like the end of the world right now, but I promise you it isn’t. Just think of all the blessings around you. You were still able to eat today, you probably took a shower, maybe you went to class or posted a Snapchat or an Instagram. Maybe you even got to Netflix and chill: That’s a blessing -- sometimes you have to step back and look at the bigger picture. That’s just life.

I truly feel like I’ve got everything I need right in front of me, and here’s why:

1. Family

Family is my everything. My mom and brother mean the world to me, and without them I don’t think I would have the strength to get through the day. Being able to call my mom just to hear her voice is a blessing.

2. Being part of a team

This is basic and clichéd, but I honestly don’t know where I would be without cheerleading. My cheer team has always been my second family, because I think I spend more hours at practice with them than my actual family, but that’s OK. We are one unit, and in this sport having 100 percent trust in each other is the only way to get the job done. #blessed

3. Education

Waking up for 8 a.m. classes sucks, sitting through four-hour classes also sucks, but being able to learn about things we love and want to do for the rest of our lives is a blessing.

4. Faith

I went to a Catholic school for 10 years, so faith has always been a huge part of my life, and I couldn’t picture my life without it. I hated high school, but being able to practice my faith every day is a blessing many people don’t have.

5. Health

Being a healthy, living, and breathing 18-year-old is definitely a blessing. Today we see young kids dealing with cancer and can't even imagine going through that type of struggle, so whenever you feel like complaining, just think of someone younger than you going through something like that.

6. Food

We literally can eat whatever we want whenever we want it, but there are kids in the same country as us who don’t even know when their next meal is going to be. We are so blessed and definitely take advantage of this resource.

7. Friends

Friends come and go. Some people have been friends with the same people since middle school, and that’s just crazy to me. People grow and change, and I feel like it’s a part of life to shed the old friends to make new and stronger bonds with the new ones. But sometimes in life you find a couple of good ones that you just can't live without, and that’s a blessing.

8. Music

In the seventh grade I found a band called The Dirty Heads, and from that point on my life has never been the same. Reggae music has made the biggest impact on my life; without it, I wouldn’t be the zen person I am today. Whenever I’m having a bad day I just turn on my music and I instantly feel blessed. Strictly good vibes.

9. Shelter

Being able to come home to a warm bed, whether that be your real home or your dorm room, it's still a blessing to have a place to live in. Having a roof over your head is a huge blessing; there is a sense of peace knowing that after a long day, you have a place to go home to.

10. Never forget where you come from

A big lesson I have learned in life is to never forget where I came from. Staying true to myself is one of the biggest blessings ever. Without this mindset, I would never be able to create my own sunshine on days that are really freakin' cloudy.