How to Start 2021 Grateful

Let's face it, 2020 hasn't been kind to anyone. Maybe it started off promising. You had a good job, got a new car, went on an awesome vacation. But then it all went haywire and we found ourselves grasping at anything that would make us feel relatively normal again. So how can we go from a pandemic, crazy election, high unemployment rates, and even higher depression rates, to a completely new year feeling grateful for everything we have? Simple.

Whenever you find yourself worrying about the future or what your life might look like in 1, 3, or 5 years, just think about what you have in that moment. Do you have a place to sleep? Food to eat? Clothes to wear? Family? Maybe it's something as simple as the fact that you woke up to another sunrise. There are little things all around us that can make us feel blessed, grateful, lucky to be alive, however you want to say it. And when times are tough and we are surrounded by hate, negativity, terror, trauma, and doubt, we just need to tone it down and take a step back to see those small, everyday rays of light that keep us moving forward.

For me personally, I like to wake up every day and take a deep breath and remind myself that even just breathing like that is something I shouldn't take for granted. Getting to go into my kitchen and eat my favorite cereal out of a bowl I've had since I was a kid, with lactose free milk because the regular stuff upsets my stomach. Those are all like little blips of sunlight poking through on a cloudy day.

Now I know what you're thinking, 'this girl is nuts if she thinks I'm going to drop all of my stresses and just be happy that I got some freaking milk'. And I'm not saying that you have to drop all of the things that make you worry and stress out because 1) that's not possible and 2) probably not smart to just quit your job because your boss irritates you. Just to take a few moments and be mindful of what's around you that gives you joy or happiness. That is probably the best kept secret to living a happy life. The stressful things will still be there; they're not going anywhere while you sit there with a smile on your face because you saw a cloud that looked like a dinosaur. They'll be there when you get into a better mindset to deal with them. And the things that are out of your control? Don't give those things too much thought. They'll just bring you down and make it harder to stay focused on the things you can control.