I changed my morning routine and it changed my life.

A wise woman once told me that “everyday above ground is a blessing,” and I really felt that. You know, it’s not always easy trying to get through everyday life. Time moves way too fast, most people let you down, and I never seem to have enough money. Still, I must say I’m grateful.

I’m grateful that even though time moves way too fast, if I make up my mind, I can be present in each moment it brings. I’m grateful that even though most people have let me down or left me behind, there are a few who haven’t. Those people who stand by you through thick and thin are worth more than any number of people who choose to stand against you. I’m also grateful that even though I never seem to have enough money for all the things I want, I know that at the end of the day I will at least have access to the things I really need.

Sometimes we get so caught up in the things we dislike about our lives that we forget about all the goodness that surrounds us. I’m not writing this to say that you should just go about your day pretending bad things aren’t real, that they don’t happen or that they don’t have meaning. I’m simply saying that if we’re not careful we’ll begin to give them too much attention, significance and power in our lives.

Waking up in the morning, thinking about how I’m grateful to still be alive gives me the courage to face each day as a new beginning full of positive potential. I already know that there will be things I like and dislike about the day ahead, so it sort of gives me the heads up so I can game plan and be intentional with my time and my energy. 

Starting each day with gratitude has been wonderful, but it wasn’t always this way. I used to get up (super late) every morning with nothing but sadness in my heart, because I just felt like life was too hard to handle. It wasn’t until mid-2020, when Beyoncé released “MOOD 4 EVA” from The Lion King: The Gift [Deluxe Edition], proclaiming that “everyday above ground is a blessing,” that I was released from the shackles of this miserable routine.

I hope this story will inspire you to rethink the way you start your day, whatever time your day begins. Choose gratitude and see how the universe responds.

About the Author

Emily Ginsenburg is a young author, obsessive journalist and meme enthusiast. Follow her on Instagram @emilyginsenburg.

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