I’m struggling to find the words to write this because sometimes when you’re so overwhelmed by emotion your mouth or in this case fingers, struggle to get their shit together and articulate but what I’m trying to say is that I am grateful.

I’ve only been doing this blogging challenge for 11 days but already, I am astounded by the positive response and engagement that I am receiving. I seriously never expected that and I would like to take out the time and tell you now, as the reader of this post, how grateful I am that you take time out of your day to read what I have to say. I’m compelled to say thanks today because an incredibly beautiful soul sent me an extraordinarily heartwarming message last night (that I only read this morning but minor details..) and it honestly, truly touched my heart to the core. It set up my entire day for one full of positivity and thanks and I just need to express how grateful and blessed I feel right now.

I’m telling you all of this because I find that expressing gratitude makes for a more positive and happy life. This is something I realised a while back and kind of unconsciously started doing. It was all about being grateful for the little things- and when I say little things, I really mean little things. If I was starving at school with no money in my pocket and somebody offered to buy me Nik Naks at the tuckshop, my heart would be bursting with thanks. If I didn’t do my homework (which was often) and the teacher decided not to check that day, homegirl would be praising the heavens. Anything from offering a piece of your food when I’m hungry or letting me send an SMS to my mother using your phone, I was always grateful.

It was the type of gratitude you feel right in your heart of hearts because you know that this life isn’t always kind to people so when you find goodness you appreciate it like it’s the only thing you own but the crazy thing is, you don’t even own it. And I think that’s why I’m so grateful because you really don’t need to read this. Honestly, you don’t. You could close this tab right now and stop reading. I hope you don’t but you see how little control I have over this situation? I have no power but you’re still here, reading. How can I not be grateful?

People who know me personally know that I say “be blessed” a lot. They also know how much I tell them how blessed I feel because if you think about it, we deserve nothing in this life. Absolutely nothing. Nada. We came into this world owning nothing as sinners but God, being the gracious homie that he is, came through for us and blessed us with not only Jesus dying on the cross to pay for our sins but the Holy Spirit to live within us and guide us if we allowed it to enter into our hearts. We didn’t ask for any of it. We don’t deserve any of it yet we have it. Blessed.

You don’t even have to be a Christian or religious in any way to understand that this world owes us nothing. Nature has provided for us by its own free will. We did not ask to evolve or to be born or to have the necessary means for survival such as warmth, water, oxygen, and food yet we have it. At any instance, all of that could be taken away be it through our own stupidity like what we’re doing right now to the polar bears up there in the North Pole or through a meteor like the dinosaurs. Every single day is a blessing.

Recognising and acknowledging that in the most mindful way, I feel, makes you a happier person. Because if you understand that you being alive right now, breathing and reading this, is a freaking miracle then everything else that happens to you is also a miracle. If you look at the odds, you shouldn’t really be alive right now. I read once that you being born was like a 1 in a billion trillion gazillion or whatever crazy made up number chance. Technically speaking, unlike the Hunger Games, the odds were never in your favour. Actually, it’s exactly like the Hunger Games because the odds were never in those kids’ favour. Despite the odds, however, you’re alive. Blessed, fam.

Life! Is a blessing and being appreciative of the pure wonder of your existence is just the start. Once you take that appreciation and apply it to all aspects of your life: game changer! You’ll still have bad days, for sure. Expressing gratitude does not make you immune to the shittiness of life but you will see it from a different perspective. You’ll see the bad situations as opportunities to grow and to learn. That, in and of itself, is its own blessing. Once you change your perspective and start expressing gratitude you’ll see that every single thing you encounter or receive in life, is a blessing. Everything. Because like I said, this world doesn’t owe you a damn thing. So recognise the blessings, feel blessed, and be blessed.

Amen.