This week has been tough for me. I miss home a little extra this week, I lost my glasses, it has rained all week, I dropped my wallet/keys/everything down the trash chute, and set the fire alarm off by burning cookies in the microwave. I am being challenged and given many reasons to be mopey and sad, but that just isn't how I roll.

I encourage you to take part in writing a list of things you are grateful for. These can be big-ticket items or simple gestures that brighten your day and boost your mood. Once you pinpoint the positive, things don’t look that bad anymore. Writing out these things will help you focus your energy on the positives rather than the negatives.

Here are the little things I am grateful for this week.

1. Hot chocolate

2. Short lines at Starbucks

3. Unexpected hugs

4. Finding my laptop charger

5. Class getting canceled

6.Fresh, homemade pasta from friends

7. My oversized sweatshirt

8. The rain jacked mom sent me (I forgot it at home)

9. The boyfriend letting me cry for a solid hour in his room

10. The wrinkliest little boxer puppy I have ever seen

11. When my mom calls m

12. My teacher finally finding my long last Spanish test

13. Friends who do laundry with me

14. When I meet the essay deadlines

15. A sweet postcard from my BFF who lives all the way in Colorado 16.17.

And that is it. If you ever feel down, try to make a list of things you are grateful for, even if it seems like there are none. Trust me, there are. When we start to get caught up in the negative aspects of our day, we forget to notice all of the good things going on. Let's all try to find a little more positivity during our week. Have a good one!