All too often do we forget to be thankful for the things and people we have in our lives. Most of the time, it takes a scary turn of events for us to realize how blessed we are. I know that I find myself being bored with my every day life, wishing that I could live the life of a more exciting individual; admiring the lives of others from afar and forgetting what I have right in front of me. I hate that I do that sometimes, but it's the reality of my life; that is, until now.

I have decided to fully appreciate the things that I have in my life, and understand that all things that have happened in my life have happened for a reason. At times I may get frustrated with little things that probably won't matter in an hour and I will think that nobody on the face of the Earth has it worse than me. In those moments I am promising to take a step back and reflect on what truly matters to me. I promise to forget about the stand-still traffic I was stuck in due to an accident and remember that I am safe and on my way home to see my family. I won't whine about the assignment that took me hours to complete, instead I'll remember that I have the privilege of attending an outstanding university that continues to push me to exceed each and every day. When I'm just in a bad mood and grumpy for no reason, I'll remind myself that this mood won't last forever and there are plenty of ways I can cheer up.

Life goes by too quickly for us not to appreciate everything that it gives us. There are life events that cause our heart to ache, but those events happen for a good reason. Maybe we are given tragedy because it opens our eyes and makes us realize how precious the life we are living is. Anything can happen at the snap of a finger, and you just have to sit there and take it. Someone important to you could be gone forever and you have to pull through, because that's what happens in life. You push through the hard times and it makes you appreciate the fun times, the easy times. Literally anything could happen to you, your family members, or your best friends, so remember to tell the ones you love that you love and appreciate them each day of your life. Hug the ones you love and squeeze them tight, because that's what matters at the end of the day.