I want to take a second to write about appreciation for the good things in life. When things are going well, it’s always good to stop, look around, and realize that this is happiness. Right now, I have nothing to complain about (although I’m sure I could find one if I tried). But overall, it feels like everything is where it should be.

Having gone through a lot in the last 3 years of my life, I’ve learned to appreciate the times where things are calm. Life making sense isn’t something that’s always present. It’s nice when it does.

Appreciation is something that collectively we don’t do often. We take things for granted when they are good and curse out the world when they are bad. I know I have been over the last week while I’ve had some neck and back pain. I still have it but it’s Friday and I feel a little better and I slept enough last night. These are a few things that I’m grateful for today. And I want to make sure that I acknowledge these things while I feel them. Life changes every moment and I want to make sure that if I’m keeping track, that I do so fairly with the positives in my life as well.

Various books and empowerment articles talk about keeping a gratitude list. It’s supposed to help us see the good things even within a rough day. It does work. The hardest part is committing to doing it especially when you have a bad day. It helps though to recognize the good things. It keeps us grounded while pointing out that even though our day has not been the best, there are a few things that we can smile about. I’ve even listed things like eating ice cream and reading a book as positives. Not everyone is lucky enough to even get the opportunity for those things so I want to make sure I fully appreciate them.

Today, I am grateful that everything is where it should be. =)