As humans beings we all go through things, whether that be with school, work, family, friends, or romantic relationships. Most of us have gotten into arguments with the people who we love, struggled with a class at school, or broken up with a significant other. Some of us have dealt with mental or physical illness, unemployment, financial issues,or loss of a loved one. For the majority of my life I have thought about things in a realistic manner, taking the good with the bad and moving on with my life. For most of this time, I never truly said thank you.

Of course I would always thank someone for doing me a favor, I would say thank you for birthday and Christmas gifts, and every Thanksgiving my family would go around the table and say what we are most thankful for that year. During these times, I briefly thought of gratitude and then let it go until the next time it was time to thank someone. However, I have learned that actively counting your blessings on a regular basis can really change the way you live your life.

I started thinking about five things I’m grateful for every night before I fell asleep. The first few nights I thought of the obvious like food, water, shelter, family, and an education. As time went on I began to think of each individual person in my life and why I'm grateful for that person being there. Then I started thinking about all of the not so obvious things that I always took for granted, like having all five of my senses. I am able to taste delicious food, have my eye sight, and listen to good music. I’m grateful that I can have pets and can enjoy animals without having to worry about any allergies to them. I can access the Internet and keep in contact with anyone from anywhere in the world. I’ve thought about being able to see Europe and all of the other travel experiences I have had. I am thankful for the city I live so close to and all of the beautiful art, plays, entertainment, and culture I have been able to experience because of that. I have heat and air conditioning and can be comfortable in my home no matter what time of year it is. I’m thankful for the moments of silence I have with myself to be mindful of these things.

We all have our own unique lists of blessings, and this is just a fraction of mine. Anyone can create a gratitude list, and simply spending some time each day to think about what you appreciate can really increase your optimism, spirituality, and self esteem. It is alright to acknowledge anything horrible you are going through and to mourn those stormy times, but recognizing the good things in your life can let in a bit of sunshine.