The days where you feel like doing nothing but manage to accomplish a metric fuck ton are some of the best. You stay on task, you get your shit done, and before you know it the day is over and you’ve got something to show for it.

There are days that this doesn’t happen, but it’s days like today that you’re reminded that the work that you keep putting in is going to pay off. You’re going to be fine if you continue to trust the process and put in the work with a smile on your face. It’s the moment that you stop being grateful for opportunity or start to complain about what you don’t have, that the universe will continue to feed it to you.

If you’re looking at your neighbor’s plate, it should only be to make sure that they have enough on it, not to compare and say that you don’t have enough. I’m sure there are moments that we all have in which we want more. There’s a gap on our plate that we need filled. You know what? That’s opportunity. That’s opportunity for you to remind yourself how blessed you are that you have a plate at all, that you have vision to see it, that you can be on this side of the planet to have anything at all. “To have” is a concept that should never grow old. It should remain in the forefront of your consciousness. And it will fade to the back at times, but that’s the perfect moment to remind yourself how goddamned lucky you are that you even woke up today.

I’ve heard before that people that drink too much don’t have a positive enough perspective to be grateful in abundance. They gravitate to alcohol as a source to amplify an experience because it’s not amazing enough already. Do I agree with this? Sure, to an extent. If it’s a habit that they drink all the time and always to excess, then yes, it’s time to get better control over their vices. If it’s a few moments that they’re celebrating with friends and family? Sure, get a little buck wild… because NO ONE can confidently say that they’re going to take another breath tomorrow… and what fun is it to drive a Ferarri without putting the pedal to the floor once in a while?

We must remain grateful for today and put it out into the universe. Just thanking it for allowing us to live another day reminds the universe that it should keep us around. We’d love to be in full control, but is this reasonable? Can you really control everything? Ask a control freak, they’ll try their best but then when they get caught in traffic they’re ready to rip their steering wheel off. We CANNOT control everything, but we can almost always control how we react to it.

Thanking the universe for keeping us alive allows us to have another day full of opportunities. How can you tell me what’s going to happen tomorrow when today’s not even over? Sure, there are evenings that we’re a little beat up from the day, defeated almost. But we take a moment when we get home to thank our lucky stars that we HAVE a home! Do you have a bed to sleep in? Shouldn’t that be something you’re thankful for?

I watch particular people that will compare their life to someone else’s or constantly speak of their obstacles in life that hold them back… but they’re just that – obstacles. These difficulties give you an opportunity to grow. Perhaps you’re stuck in a rut of some poor habits and your mind is keeping you there. Reminder…it’s YOUR mind. You can change the tune really quickly. It’s not easy, but you can do it. These thoughts that circle in a loop just get louder and louder the more you listen. Acknowledge them and move on. Meditation is key for me, personally. I’m anything but a mentally sound person. My mind hears these chirps of self-doubt daily but it takes a reminder to pull me out of it. Just a simple bracelet, a note to smile, a mission written behind your desk will work. Something. But these thoughts and ideas don’t have to be your own. You’re just entertaining them when you listen too much.

There’s so many chances to grow your heart size, a la The Grinch. Think about that dude…if he can change, why can’t you? That poor guy was covered in green fur and surrounded himself with negative thoughts. He had a poor dog-deer that had to put up with all of his shit because he was grateful just to be fed. Eventually the love of a little girl changed his heart. The lines, lines, LINES are an opportunity to meet some new people and hang out for a few minutes.

We can all change. We don’t have to identify with the thoughts we hear or the ideas that come through our mind. They are not our own, they are simply ideas. Rob Zombie makes some of the most wild and sickening movies that you could ever see, but the word on the street that he’s just a huge nerd with a heart of gold. He has the ideas that create some fascinating movies…but last I checked, he’s not some psychotic serial killer…he’s just an artist who clearly can tune into some sick shit. But he doesn’t IDENTIFY with the ideas, he just makes some movies with them. The thoughts serve him.

We can find solutions if we look and if we want them. You can bring a horse to water but they don’t always drink. You see the water, you can break free of this. Start with a moment of gratitude… just one small, easy thing. Then add to it. Then add some more. Before you know it, you’ll be grateful for time spent with others and for waking up, and for having a couple teeth in your mouth so you can just chew your food. Once you start to look regularly, it get’s really easy to start to see the beauty in everything. And through that, the universe will start to reward you. Trust the process, you’ll be grateful that you did.