During the course of your life isn’t it interesting how something that seems like no big deal at the time turns out to be a theme throughout your life?

Case in point…

The first day in my new school back when I was in 4th grade.

We had just moved to a new town in New Jersey (Old Bridge) and this was my 5th school in the previous 8 months.

I still remember being walked down the hallway. And interestingly enough, when I was brought into the classroom the teacher was teaching math…one of my favorite subjects.

That, along with all of the eyes being on me, the new kid in class, I sensed that this was the place I belonged in. I had a feeling that something special was coming out of this. And sure enough we lived there until I graduated high school.

It was the first time in my life that we lived in a place long enough where I was able to develop long term friendships. In fact, I still keep in touch with some of those “kids” who were there that day.

Now that’s one blessing I can count in my life.

What about you?

How many blessings can you count in your life?

This brings up a very interesting quote by Eric Hoffer—“The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings.”

But is it really that hard to count your blessings?

Not really.

In fact I can tell you, at the bare minimum, how many blessings you’ll have each day. It’s over 100,000.

If your heart rate is 80 beats per minute that comes out to 115,200 per day. I told you math was one of my favorite subjects.

Since my heart rate is on average 60 beats per minute, that comes out to 86,400 blessings per day.

Ok, enough of the numbers and on to the main point.

Every time your heart beats that’s something to count your blessings for…and that’s at a bare minimum.

So the next time you feel that life is like a ticking time bomb ready to go off, always remember that the sound of your heart beating is a blessing you can count.

But what else?

Take a look at the different areas of your life. Whether things are going your way or not look for the blessings.

I know this sounds simple and you most likely have heard it before.

And part of it is simple. It’s just a matter of being aware and knowing when something comes up in your life that isn’t going your way, to remember and look for it’s opposite, the positives of that situation.

Now here’s what you most likely haven’t heard before when it comes to realizing and then counting your blessings…or as many would say being grateful.

Let’s say you’re feeling regret, depressed, or even betrayed by someone. Now you may be thinking, “well if things would have gone the way I wanted instead, my life would have been happier, I’d be better off”

Think about that for a moment…

What if things had gone the way you wanted? Would your life really have been better off? Would it have turned out in such a way that what you are experiencing now still wouldn’t be there to some degree.

The point here is to look at those moments that haven’t or are currently not going your way and look for the blessings.

And when you start looking back through your life you’ll see more of these blessings…many of which were there all along. Along with that you’ll also start to uncover different themes throughout your life.

What those themes are throughout your life is going to be unique for you.

The idea is to be aware that they’re sitting “right under your nose.” It’s just a matter of realizing what they are.

And the way you start to find this out for yourself is to master the “hard” arithmetic of counting your blessings…which starts by knowing that every heartbeat your beautiful heart takes is proof that there’s already blessings in your life…

Simply because you’re alive. You’re here.

And certainly because you have something of tremendous value to contribute to the world.

So rather than looking at your life and wishing you “did” or “didn’t do something differently, realize that what you’ve done has served you (and others) in some way.

Remember…

In every crisis there’s a hidden blessing. That’s wisdom and having gratitude. And even greater wisdom and truer gratitude is realizing that in every blessing there’s also a hidden crisis.

It may not seem like it at first, but when you look you’ll find it and your life transforms. Not only that but the ripple effect of it transforms the lives of those you care about most.

And wouldn’t it be nice for you to live everyday knowing that you do matter…

And that the uniqueness of who you are is special…

And that you do make a difference in this world.

The truth is…

You are a very important person with so much to be thankful for.

Count your blessings every day and know that it’s a blessing you’re alive.