The greatest lesson I have learned is to be grateful. Too many times I witness people who have everything that do not appreciate it all. This confuses me. I take a look at my life compared to their own and ask myself how could someone be that way when they seem to not have a reason to be. Soon I would learn that the answer is rather simple.

Gratefulness is taught, not something developed by how much you have. I find that the most grateful people are those who have so little. To be grateful is to be happy that you are alive, breathing fresh air and enjoying the beauties of Earth. Gratefulness is not big houses, new cars, and money. It is our reliance on materials that steers us away from truly seeking a grateful heart.

To be grateful is to love life without any need for materials. When times get tough, it is your ability to push past the negative and still see all the blessings in your life. It is giving a dollar to charity when you know you do not have extra money to spend at the moment. It is looking at your home or car and being able to say that size, age, or brand does not matter because you are lucky enough to have all of these things. It is looking at your family and friends and knowing that you are blessed to have people that love you no matter what.

Life gets tough and can knock us down more than a few times. The way to fight back, however, is through gratefulness. Just take a second and look around. Be grateful that you are standing. You have two feet that can travel the Earth and take you anywhere. You have eyes that will allow you to see the world in front of you. Your nose will help you capture these amazing smells while your ears help you to remember the sounds. These are all reasons to be grateful. Look at your family, whether blood or not. No matter what situation you may come from, be thankful for those who stuck around or came into your life. These people are not an accident and they should never be overlooked.

So let’s stop being a society that is so ungrateful. Materials mean nothing at the end of the day if you can not appreciate the littlest of blessings. Start looking at life as something positive and as a gift, not a privilege. Life is truly not a privilege because it can be gone at any moment. Instead of wasting those moments feeling unfulfilled by inanimate objects, try fulfilling yourself with all the gratefulness that can come from life.