Screenprinted.

Fabrication: 100% preshrunk cotton. 6.1 oz.

Even on the cloudiest of days, may you learn to find light in the darkness, for if the sun isn’t shining today, it could always shine tomorrow. Existence itself can be a lot to handle, and some days of course are harder than others. Life might not go as we plan sometimes, we lose loved ones along the way, and at times lose ourselves. Sometimes though we get so caught up in the negative aspects going on in our life, we tend to forget even the simplest of beauties. The birds chirping in the air, the water we drink, or even a memorable conversation with a loved one. It’s important to know the power of giving gratitude because it not only can help one appreciation life more, but truly can contribute to one’s overall happiness. I’m learning to incorporate the power of gratitude into my own life, and already realized how much I take for granted daily. Looking back, even the periods of time where I was a numb to what life was giving me, there was still so much there to be grateful for. I do my best now to make sure to remind myself as best I can whether it’s the food I eat, a moment I share with a loved one, or even simply the sun shining in the sky, to be present and give gratitude.  Changing the narrative in my head from “I have to do this” to “I get to do this” has made a huge impact as well. I don’t have to go grocery shopping. I get to go grocery shopping because I have the resources available to do so, and that’s a blessing. It changes the narrative energy from a negative one to a grateful one. Our minds are powerful tools that can very much well be used for us or against us depending on the stories we feed it. If you’re constantly talking negatively about yourself and what life is giving you, where do you expect the appreciation of life to flow in? Life doesn’t happen to you, it happens for you. Every “good” AND “bad” thing that happens in your life is leading to the advancement of your growth, which is why you must have gratitude for it ALL. Life is going to continue moving forward, and will continue to be unexpected, so it’s up to you to decide how you’ll respond. As I mentioned, I know with overwhelming emotions some days going to be harder to be grateful for than others, and that’s okay! But also know nothings lasts forever, and it’s in these shadow periods, where the beauty of life stems from. Experiencing both the good and the bad is what it means to be human, and where the beauty of your growth comes from. You won’t even realize how much time has passed until you look back at your past self and see how much you’ve grown and already conquered. Grateful for the ups and just as grateful for the downs. Experiencing lows to reach the new highs is a part of life, and we must remind ourselves growth is not linear. Sometimes we take two steps forward, just to take one step back, and that’s okay! May we learn to have gratitude for our own existence and other humans here on planet earth, because each experience is very much our own, and we have so much to learn from one another.