I witnessed something amazing a while ago. I was riding around with a friend of mine, cigarette in hand, music loud, and as I was looking through the crack in the window I saw a bright light dash among the stars. A shooting star. Something I've only witnessed two other times in my 21, almost 22, years of life.

Luck has always failed me. But this night was different. For the first time in a long time everything felt okay. Life felt still. I closed my eyes and made a wish. Because in that short moment, I wanted to believe in miracles.

We hear "shooting star" and imagine a blazing white 5 pointed star spiraling towards Earth. What it really is, is a dusty space rock made up of naturally occurring chemical compounds known as minerals. Different minerals can cause the streak of light to burn in different colors. The known ones that are common are yellow from iron, silicon which glows red, and green which indicates burning copper. The mechanics of a shooting star isn't what is important here. Shooting stars are known to have symbolism of good luck, major life events/changes, and reaching some sort of destiny. These are just the common ones I've heard throughout my life and through what I've read in articles.

I can't be sure what each individual gets out of their own experience of witnessing a shooting star, all I can do is tell you my own experience. How a shooting star may not have brought good luck but it did teach me a lesson I will never forget. That lesson is to always have hope. I guess you could say this was the beginning to a wonderful change.

When I witnessed this small but significant event, my life was chaotic. Nothing felt stable or normal. If anything, this stage of my life has been the most unstable and unpredictable so far. I’ve been on the downslope of things recently and am constantly dealing with changes I’ve never had to go through before. I haven’t been able to write in a while. I would prefer to blame the mishap on writer’s block but sad to say my mind and heart just haven’t been in it.

Sure, the moment was small and insignificant to most. Seeing a shooting star might not be on most people’s bucket list. However, there is a lot more than just the experience of seeing the star, there was also the moment. The environment was perfect and the moment was set up for something so much more beautiful. It was the timing of all of it. It couldn’t of been a more perfect opportunity and I can honestly say if the setting was different I might not have had the experience or the self-recollection that I did.

I gave up long ago thinking I ever had the chance of seeing another shooting star. I figured I got lucky the first two times and lately luck hasn't been on my side. However, I always make it a point to look at the sky. Every moment I have in the car, at the park, on my daily walk, I take the chance to examine the floating ocean of stars above me. I inspect it closely to remind myself how small I am in the world. I also take satisfaction in knowing the more I look at the sky, the increased chance I have at seeing another shooting star.

I suppose eventually it paid off. It’s cliché of me to say, but it really is the little things in life. What this moment taught me is that no matter how low I get, there is always enough good to bring me back into balance. I need the little moments in life like when someone smiles at you and accompanies that smile with a settle “good morning.” Or the moment I receive a phone call from an old friend and we waste time neither of us had just catching up. I cherish the moment I see a simple flash of light in the sky.

I need all of these moments like any human being needs oxygen to live. I need these little things in life to keep me balanced. To keep me stable. To keep me away from the edge of insanity. I need these moments to remind myself I’m alive and that good things happen in small doses. We have to appreciate the little bits of happiness that we’ve all grown to take advantage of. Only then do I feel like we, as humans, can fully appreciate the miracles that surround us. Those miracles we sometimes refuse to see.

I gained a lot from this simple experience. I was able to write something from it. I was able to write what I felt in that moment. The impact has been great and I see myself becoming more motivated throughout the days. I've learned to subconsciously pick out a few positives about what went right every day. Even on the days that have felt like complete failures, I've been able to find a shred of good that was accomplished.

It gives my days meaning. For someone who finds it difficult to get out of bed in the morning, this gives me hope. I’ve contemplated many different ways of how to create a more productive atmosphere for myself. However, I came to the realization that it wasn’t necessarily my atmosphere but instead my attitude. My outlook.

Give it a try. If you’re someone who struggles to see the good in things try picking out something that went right one day. Imagine it is the worst day of your life and everything that could possibly go wrong, has gone wrong. Examine your day all over again. As you comb through the day and the events that took place, recall even the smallest of details. Something, even if it is just one small thing, had to have gone okay that day. It could’ve been the fact that you didn’t spill your coffee on yourself that morning. Maybe it’s the fact you made it to work on time, or turned an assignment in early. It could be as simple as waking up in the morning to your first alarm, eating breakfast without making a mess all over yourself, these are all small but valid accomplishments. People who tend to dwell in the negative, such as myself, understand how difficult it is to see light when your eyes are closed in the middle of the night. We have to open our eyes, let them adjust, and move forward with what we have control over.

Being our unique selves, it requires different experiences for every individual to completely be capable of pursuing this change in mindset. Who knew a shooting star could drastically impact the way I see myself and my life as a whole. The positives in my life are what keep me going; whether they be small or life-changing, they are all equally important in maintaining an emotional balance for myself. That is what is important.