It seems as if one time a year we are forced to ask ourselves, "What are we thankful for?" Before we can dig into the golden turkey, steaming mashed potatoes, fluffy stuffing, and delightful pumpkin pie we all go around and count our blessings. Besides the savory food and company surrounding us, we seem to quickly dismiss what we are thankful for just so we can dig in and go into a food coma for the next few days.

Now obviously I am fully aware that Thanksgiving has passed...indeed for quite some time now. But what if every day was like Thanksgiving? (And no I am not talking about the feast...although I would be very thankful for that.)

What if every day we took the time to reflect on what we are truly thankful for in life? Instead of going about our daily routines and rarely reflecting on what we have, we stopped to count at least three things we feel grateful for. Instead of focusing our attention on what we don't have or the problems that are out of our control, we focus that negative energy into something positive.

Recently I followed my own advice and took a few minutes to think about the things I was thankful for. I realized that despite all of the madness going on in the world, there were still things to remain optimistic about.

I thought about how thankful I am for my family and friends. So much (if not all) of the happiness I am fortunate enough to experience can be attributed to them. They are each an abundant source of unwavering love and for that I am forever thankful.

I am thankful for travel. Whether it is to a foreign country or simply taking a new path to run on, I am grateful to see what I had previously undiscovered. The realization of how genuinely big the world truly and all that awaits us is a humbling feeling.

I also realized that I am extremely thankful for the ability to laugh. Although much of my laughter is attributed to my own jokes, I am grateful to be able to experience such infectious joy when laughing uncontrollably with others.

I am also thankful for so many of the little things in life: the sunshine that beats down on my face, crisp blue skies, guacamole that doesn't cost extra, WiFi, naps, flower boxes on windows, fresh air, peanut butter, the ability to learn something new every day, and believe me the list goes on.

After creating my list, it registered that every day is an opportunity to add something new.

We should treat every day like Thanksgiving because every day we give ourselves the opportunity to appreciate how much we have to be thankful for.