Usually, we take stock of our year or life at the end of each year, but with Thanksgiving Day around the corner, many of us begin to count our blessings around this time. It got me thinking these past few days about gratitude, how much it really matters in our lives.

We, humans, always want more, which is not necessarily a bad thing, as we're designed this way. But in this rush of wanting and getting more, we, many times forget to be thankful for what we already have.

Thankfully, in the last few years, there's been a surge of awareness in the online world about how powerful being grateful can be. There's an urgency of being "aware" in our daily lives: aware of our feelings, of our presence, and aware of the positivity around us or negativity for that matter. It can be a lot to "carry" sometimes, but one way to help with this is by practicing gratitude: be grateful, even when you think you have nothing to be grateful for.

On 09/11, I read a story (on Twitter I believe), that marked me greatly, and I try to remind myself of it whenever things don't work like I want them to. The story was about the people, whose lives were saved during the most terrifying events in modern history, simply because their day or plans didn't go as intended. Those people were supposed to be inside the fallen towers but other events like car trouble, missing the subway, child tantrums, oversleeping, etc., kept them away.

While I wish no other human being goes through anything like this ever again, I try to think that, if something doesn't work out, it's because I am being protected by a higher power, and I become grateful for it. You too, be grateful next time your plans don't work out.

I remind myself to give thanks for everything I have and don't have in my life. A few things have changed from previous years (2018, 2017). The constants that I have gratitude for are my husband, my health, the people that showed us how NOT to live life, as well as those that taught us valuable lessons. Yes, I really am grateful to them.

Since I mentioned the posts from the years before, after reading this one I wrote just last year, and being here now, after living what were at the time dreams, feels surreal.

This year for me has been like no other in my life. As I write this, my eyes are getting teary and I feel my heart bursting with gratitude. 2019 has not been easy, by all means, but has been more satisfying than any other. And this because my husband and I decided we didn't want to accept our circumstances any longer and took action.

A wave of gratitude washes over for having the determination, persistence, and faith in us and our future. It's not easy, but I strongly believe it's worth it.

How do you do gratitude?
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Until next time.
XOXO,
Em​