I'm going to start with the bad news: it seems and feels that a majority of people, whether we realize it or not, are dealing with anxiety or depression. I personally have an anxiety disorder, and know so many people who deal with either an anxiety disorder, depression, or both. Even the people who are seemingly perfectly happy and appear to have no troubles at all may be dealing with something very dark. Now I'm going to offer some good news: there is a light and a hope that has helped me. No, it has not made my anxiety problems go away. But it has helped me become a more joyful person who takes less for granted.

The thing I am talking about is, as you probably gathered from the title of this, starting every day with a grateful heart. First, I'll explain what I mean by that. It unfortunately is one of those statements that is easier said than done. The first step to the process is realizing that every day and every breath is a gift. In the busyness of life, it is easy to get caught up in blurred thinking. It is easy to see a Monday as the annoying first day of the week in which you're trudging through classes in a sleepy weekend haze. It is easy to get lost in the repetitiveness of going to classes or work every day, easy to get drowned in the routine of it all and easy to lose perspective and forget that life is a gift. Because that's what it is - whether you believe in God or not. And we never know when that gift will run out - it could be in 50 years, it could be today. Once we realize that life is a gift and every breath is a gift, our heart can start to put this grateful thinking into perspective.

The second step is taking moments throughout the day to remember this fact and have a moment of gratitude. No matter how your day is going, remember that you are alive and that is already so much of a gift. I like to do this in the morning. I'll just lay in bed and say a quick prayer thanking God for the beautiful day and asking for strength as I face it, or I'll just lay there taking a moment to be grateful that I woke up. It really helps put things into perspective and put joy in my heart before the day even begins.

Now, this is where it gets real good. The best part of starting the day with a grateful heart is what comes after. When you have a true appreciation for everything in your life, it makes facing the day a lot easier - and happier. Like I said, it's not going to cause you to have no anxiety all of a sudden, or mean that you're going to ace every test. But it does mean that when anxiety comes, you will handle it with a heart that remembers all the things in your life that are going well. It does mean that when a small, simple moment of true happiness such as a good conversation with a roommate or even feeling the sun warm your skin will mean so much more to you than before. You will appreciate the small moments more and they will seem like the big moments. It will change your perspective and make life more enjoyable and more fulfilling.

So today, I encourage you to reflect on your life. Remember that it is a gift, and make a list of all the things in your life that bring you joy or for which you're grateful. Then make a list of your struggles, rip it up and throw it away. Finally, put this into practice by waking up every morning and reading the list of things that bring you joy and reminding yourself that you are not guaranteed a day in this life and that it is a blessing just to have woken up. There will be times and days where you will forget, of course - it is not always easy to get into the habit. But little steps will eventually turn into big changes, and you have to start somewhere.