Waking up with a smile everyday is a habit.

I'm (only/already) twenty-five years old!

Today is not my birthday, but recently I have thought, "I'm twenty-five years old...what should I do with my life?" My mind goes back and forth from wanting to work really hard because I'm 'grown up' now and wanting to travel, stay up late, eat what I want, etc. I'm not going to put a deadline on deciding which is the right thing to do, but I have thought about this many times since the last time I blew out the candles on my birthday cake.

One thing I am certain about, is that I will wake up with a smile on my face every single day no matter which path I choose and how soon that happens.

One freezing cold morning in February, my mother told me that I should get in the habit of giving thanks to God for everything. Yes, she said and meant EVERY-thing. We were discussing life in general, and I had recently been flooded out of my apartment. I was down about having to move all my stuff out, throwing things away that had been damaged by the water, and I was trying to fix the random problems that came with the flood. Towards the end of our discussion, I told her that I agreed with her suggestion, and I would give it a go. That day and that suggestion made a very positive impact on my life.

Since then, I have said "thanks" for a variety of things. The good, bad, and ugly have all received a sincere thanks from that day forward. It is difficult and sometimes awkward, even if I'm just saying it to myself. I haven't told her out loud, but I'm sure she can tell that life has become a lot smoother than that cold morning in February when my apartment was flooding (sidenote: the water was coming through the roof. Every light fixture and vent in my apartment had turned into a mini shower).

During my life (and the past five months specifically), I have been very blessed because of the fact that I make an effort to give thanks for everything. I hope that you too will try to wake up with a smile on your face and give thanks for everything that happens. The good and the bad (and ugly). We only get one shot at life, and it's up to us how well it turns out. Great things are going to happen, and horrible things are going to happen. I promise that I will give thanks either way. I am happy and rock on a smile on my face because I am able to experience those things and continue to learn everyday.

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-Chance Chapman
Streakers, Inc.