I will be the first to admit that I am not the picture of optimism. I say I am a realist but I definitely look on the dark side a lot. In my newfound inspiration to put myself first and make myself happy, this includes looking at life in a more positive light.

It’s hard to do that on your own sometimes, especially when deadlines are staring you in the face. It’s the small things in my day that can really make me appreciate my life and turn my attitude around.

Today was the perfect example. As I walked into CVS today to get a prescription filled, I was already exhausted from a long week (despite it only being Wednesday) and I was sure my day wasn’t going to get any better from here with the mountain of homework ahead of me. When I gave my date of birth to the woman at the counter she answered back with “Happy birthday by the way, if I don’t see you before then."

My birthday is next weekend and for a stranger to not only notice this but to be nice enough to say happy birthday was an incredibly sweet gesture. This immediately brightened my mood as I was caught off guard by how such a simple sentence meant so much to me. While this not only temporarily restored my faith in humanity, it put me in a more positive mood.

My day went on, fairly bland I’ll have to admit, and I went through my to-do list. Groceries, homework, cook dinner, clean the dorm. Nothing too exciting and nothing to get my spirits up.

But as I walked to the Safeway, an endeavor in itself as it requires two ten minute walks and a bus ride both ways, I took in the crisp fall day and appreciated the fallen leaves on the ground and cool autumn air. I had bundled up in a scarf and mittens, my coziest jacket, and spent the walk listening to some very motivational 80’s music. I thought I looked really cute and I felt good about my plan for the rest of the day and was already brainstorming what to make for dinner.

It was the little things that I appreciated today like the gesture of a stranger, a chilly November afternoon and a cute fall look that shifted my mentality from bored to motivated.

By taking a minute to see the good in my days it made just enough of a difference in my mood that the rest of the day was smooth sailing. I could have focused on the fact that I was tired, stressed about upcoming papers and trying to get enough sleep to wake up at 8 the next morning, but that would have put me in a very different mood and could have ruined my day. These small moments made a world of difference in an otherwise plain day and at the end of the night, I can call this a success.