Category: mindfulness & wellness

It’s so easy to overlook the good and dwell on the bad — our flesh is wired to do that.

But taking time to recognize the good things, no matter how small, changes everything. Gratitude shifts your perspective, brings peace, and reminds you that there’s still light in every day.

Happiness doesn’t come from what’s around you — it starts within you. If you can’t find it inside yourself, you won’t see it anywhere else.

So I encourage you to count your blessings. Take a moment every day to reflect on what went right, who made you smile, or what you’re thankful for. It doesn’t have to be anything grand — sometimes it’s just a good coffee, a safe drive home, or the comfort of your own bed.

The more you practice gratitude, the more you’ll start to see beauty in the ordinary. Life feels lighter, softer, and more meaningful when you choose to notice the blessings that were always there.

With everything in life, you must be intentional. The universe listens — what you put out is what you attract. Choose positivity, and you’ll start to see more of it around you.

Take a moment to recognize how blessed you are. Practice gratitude, speak goodness into your life, and move with intention every day.

Do you know how many alarms I’ve slept through? How many times I’ve overslept? Too many to count. Eventually, I had to figure out how to stop hitting snooze and actually wake up to my first alarm.

At UC Santa Cruz, I took a stress and well-being class that completely changed how I think about sleep. I learned about sleep cycles — we go through about 2 to 3 each night, and each one lasts roughly 3 to 4 hours. When you interrupt a cycle, you wake up feeling groggy and unrested.

So if your alarm goes off at 6:00 AM and you hit snooze for 10 minutes, you’re not helping yourself — you’re starting another sleep cycle you won’t finish. That’s why you feel even more tired.

Don’t make the same mistake I did for years. Set your alarm, and when it rings, get up. Wake up to the first alarm.