What’s great about gratitude is that even on the worst days there is always something to be thankful for, and usually there is more than one thing. As students, we are used to look at the negative side of things and complain about our hard lives. “Teachers are always picking on me”, “I have to wake up early for my 8:00 A.M. class”, “Food at the cafeteria is awful” or the classic “homework ruins my social life, where are the beautiful (party hard) years at college that everybody told me about?” We could not be more wrong. There are tons of things for what we can be thankful for and to practice our gratitude with, especially when we are able to study, All we need to do is to look at the small things that surround us to find the good moments we might sometimes miss from all of the stress.
So students, here are five things to be thankful for this year:
- Having a Pen:
It is incredible how students lose pens every day, and it is understandable. Pens actually squeeze in easily anywhere and are difficult to retrieve when they fall into tight gaps or holes. Not to mention that everyone will claim that they also have the same pen! When sitting down in class, opening your backpack, getting all settled with your notebooks, just ready to write and there’s nothing to write with, is really frustrating. Finding a pen in your pocket, backpack, suitcase or behind your ear (because sometimes we even forget where we put them), is actually a small victory! So whenever you find a pen, realize it is a good moment to give thanks to life and continue struggling, with a pen in hand, with your student life.
- Finding money when we think there isn’t:
Money moves the world, it has always created an easier way of living life, and in college life, it is not an exception! However, when there is nothing in our wallets, it can be hard to bear watching your friends spend theirs with ease. It’s really frustrating going out to dinner with your friends and not having a dime to even pay for a mint; you don’t even want to go out! But how good does it feel when opening one of your drawers in your room, and deep inside of it, finding a lost and confused bill of 20$ or less! Your mind starts thinking on food, drinks, going out, smiling again or even the mints! Being grateful for finding money helps you realize how important it is and it helps to make you save some for the next time.
- Good Roommates:
Our personal space is sacred. Our cleanliness, our desks, our beds, and even our own air since it is shared when we live with a roommate! There are millions of different cultures, practices and ways of living in the world, and the chances of finding differences with the persons we live with in college are quite big. Imagine having to stand a roommate that only eats spicy food. Dear lord, the odor of spices and condiments penetrating through your nose every time you open that door and making you buy dozens of Glades fragrances might be one of the worst fates a student can front. Or that one roommate that doesn’t care about cleaning, inviting thousands of who- knows -what kind of tiny animals and bacteria! Or simply, having a different taste in music could prove to be a headache during a whole semester. Having an excellent and complementary roommate is a reason to give thanks for, one that wakes you up when you’re late for class, one that leaves post-it notes for you to not forget about your chores, one that likes your music and plays you good music too. Hug your good roommate and give thanks for not being a mass murderer with psychopathic ways!
- Wi-Fi Era:
You know which is the best time to live in? Today. Just picture you studying ten years ago! You would actually have to call a fellow peer from your phone to discuss the title of the homework you need to turn in next morning, rather than just texting away through facebook or whatsapp because there wasn’t Wi-Fi, whatsapp or even Facebook (Facebook went public on 2006). Looking to quick responses before class using the searcher on your cellphone, not possible. Using Youtube to look for some videos explaining a class youre having a hard time with, not possible. Looking for the name of the pretty girl or boy that sits in front of you in Intermediate Statistics on Instagram or Twitter to whom youre afraid to speak to, NOT POSSIBLE. Why not giving thanks to Social Media for making our student life a little bit more easier and fun?
- You’re a Student:
As of 2012, 3 persons out of a 100 in the whole world would have had a college education according to UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). College education helps to increase our understanding of society and the world as we explore interests, discover new areas of knowledge, and consider lifelong goals. Going to an university is an investment that will pay back for a lifetime. Meeting friends, trying new things, getting new opportunities or even getting to know yourself; university is a heck of an experience that every person should have granted in their lives. Being one of those 3 out of 100 should be the best reason to give thanks for.
Choose happiness today by taking life moment by moment, complaining very little, and being thankful for the little things that mean a lot. Practicing gratitude is one of the easiest and quickest ways to train your brain to think positive, and if you really think about it, there are always blessings and burdens in life, no matter what the situation is. Try thanking the Universe for all the blessings in your life, no matter how small or insignificant, and see what happens.
Happy Thanksgivings!