Finding peace in nature. I have this distinct memory from when I was about 15 in my first year in high school. I had agreed to go on a trip to Costa Rica with a whole bunch of girls and my Spanish teacher. It had been one of the most liberating experiences of all time. We met so many incredible people and created memories for a lifetime. Our experiences were so rich and the people that we encountered taught us the meaning of gratitude. When we go and visit a third world country, we start to appreciate the things, and people we have. Traveling to a poor country can make you realize just how much you actually have. You will meet (and make friends) with people who have so little in their life, but are living their life happily. Travel can teach us many things: acceptance, flexibility, awareness and if we allow it, it teaches us deep gratitude. Gratitude for one another, gratitude for what we have, gratitude for what we don't need, gratitude for new experiences, and gratitude for life. 

In addition to being grateful in the moment, we must also recognize that things are always moving and we must feel the lightness of letting go. When gratitude is reserved for huge, incredible once in a lifetime experiences then people wait for these to happen or spend much of their time trying to achieve them. Thich Nhat Hanh teaches in The Miracle of Mindfulness that “People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don't even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, and our own two eyes. All is a miracle.” There is something to be grateful about in any situation, good or bad. I’ve learned that I can’t control life’s events, but I can control how I react to them. If we are able to make this small shift, it will feel like a dramatic difference in one's happiness and positivity. Sometimes when I've struggled with relationships my mom would repeat to me, “these two shall pass,” meaning eventually, everything that we go through will pass. We just have to give it time. Everyone of us gets to choose how we perceive events in our lives, and if we start to appreciate all of the negative things that happen (or have happened) to us, then we'll all be much happier. Thích Nhất Hạnh says “our practice is to take care of the present moment. Don't allow yourself to be lost in the past or the future.” This quote truly spoke to me because lately, I've been trying to plan out my life for the future and what is to come, so much that I get lost and unappreciative of the present moment. It is important to remember, to enjoy the NOW.