Every day I wear the same twelve bracelets. No matter my outfit of choice or the places I visit, the same bracelets rest on my wrist. A couple of bangles with Catholic symbols, a threaded bracelet given to me by my roommate, a sister bracelet, Buddhist prayer beads, an Om bangle, and a stone bracelet make the daily appearance. But especially the “gratitude” and “blessed” faux gold bands stand out to me. My mom gave them to me as a gift for Christmas and Valentine’s Day. I constantly look at my wrist during class, work, or just randomly. To see those two positive affirmations, make a true, lasting impact on my attitude.

Life has truly blessed me with many great people and things. Whenever I can sense a bad situation arising, I look at my wrist and see the words “gratitude” and “blessed” and suddenly, the issue does not seem as bad as it did initially. My family supports me through every choice I make, which inspires me to become the best person I can. The endless “goodnight” texts make nights better. Material things can be fulfilling, but only temporarily. True joy and happiness rests in love given and received. I am blessed to be raised in such a loving family who teaches me that a million opportunities can go astray, but in the end the only thing that matters is how you love your neighbor.

I am blessed to attend such an amazing university. The opportunity to take courses taught by such passionate and caring professors presents itself as a true blessing. Schoolwork is not simple, but I am grateful to have the problems I do. Knowledge does not come easily; and school stress proves that you push yourself to the point where new thinking emerges about your field of study. Certain assignments make me cringe and doubt myself; but it is in these moments of doubt that a base forms for my future confidence. I am blessed to study courses that incite me to question my beliefs because without questioning, I would be on a straight path to ignorance of my own ignorance. Grappling with the amount of material and knowledge I do not know makes me want to learn more and strive to know as much as I can. Self-discovery starts at the acknowledgment of ignorance; I am grateful to take courses that expand my consciousness to the fact that I do not and cannot know everything.

I am grateful for the nature, the weather, and the mere existence of myself. Nature and its forms change constantly from the clouds in the sky, to the weather patterns, and to the trees and flowers on the ground. To be able to see, touch, smell, and experience the essence of other life forms is truly a blessing. To have the capability to think and feel is also a blessing. We all have our own thoughts, likes, and dislikes. We each appreciate different people and art forms. The diversity of the human mind, soul, and physical attributes prove the goodness and inexplicable intelligence of the Universe. I truly am grateful to be alive and experience what the human being gets to experience.

Seneca said, “As long as you live keep learning how to live.” Life presents itself with many challenges but always acknowledging even the smallest blessing incites an immense amount of gratitude. This feeling can change your perception on life and can become a strong base for growth. Knowing you are always blessed despite the situation makes you feel as if no matter what happens, you will be just fine. Life will flow and ebb but you will survive. With a strong sense of gratitude, we can turn any negative situation to an opportunity for growth and development.