One of the most encouraging things I've ever read was, "Anyone can love a rose, but it takes a lot to love a leaf. It's ordinary to love the beautiful, but it's beautiful to love the ordinary."

How often do we just look for the roses to love? How many leaves have we overlooked, not paid attention to or dismissed simply because they aren't a rose?

What moments in our life have we over looked all the good things just because it wasn't spectacular?

In the middle of long and difficult day, stop and breathe. Instead of pointing out all of the things that are going wrong (you failed a test, you were late for work, your significant other is seriously sucking at the moment), take a moment to point out all the things that are going right.

Try thinking of things that you take for granted. Did you eat/ will you be able to eat that day? More than likely, yes. Did you catch every single red light on your way to work/school? Probably not. Do you have friends who love you and support you? Yes.

Side note: If you hesitated answering the last one, go out and find people who support you and want you to be the best version of yourself. They're out there, I promise.

Don't label an entire thing as bad just because it isn't 100% good.

We aren't perfect people. Our worlds aren't perfect. Our lives, our school work, our social network, etc. They could all use improvement, sure. But that doesn't mean they aren't good. That doesn't mean that you aren't good or your life isn't good.

Things always seem darker when we choose not to focus on the light.

There will never be a single day in your life where something good doesn't happen. I promise. Even if the best thing that happened was you waking up, your car started, or your dog didn't poop in the house.

They still happened, and they are still good.

The small things matter just as much as the big things. In fact, I think they mean more.

It's the small things that always fill up the space between the big things. The small things get us from point A to point B. They make the mundane bearable.

Look out for the things that really make your day worth while. And if you can't find any, then create some. Be a leaf (or a rose for that matter) for someone else. You won't regret it.

In the meantime know that life is a series of small yet beautiful things happening to us all the time. Don't forget to stop and appreciate the leaves while stopping to smell the roses.