Sometimes you have to sit down alone with yourself and really think about life. 

   What is it that you're bringing in to your life?

   It's so easy to get caught up in the disappointments and not being where you want to be in life as well as getting caught up in other people's drama, especially when you can't turn away from the ones you love.

   We have to find peace within ourselves and to do that we must find appreciation for life.

   When we die, we can't take anything with us except the love we have in our hearts; the love we have for others and the love they give to us.

   We completely jump the fence of what really matters and we all do it, it's human, but it's important to recheck ourselves.

   If you're living to show off what you have, then you're living for others. Accomplishments are awesome, working hard for things and sharing and celebrating your accomplishments with others. Finally getting that new car or house you've worked your ass off for. Getting recognized for good work. Or if you're in music or acting or some type of art, getting recognized and followed, is great, but it isn't everything.

   Like buying a new pair of shoes, over time they will wear down until they've fell apart and you need a new pair.

   That's the thing about life, you can gain all the material things and the following of people to go with it, but if you're not ok without those things, then you've missed the point of life, the appreciation of genuine life.

   Living in a materialistic state of mind is a death in itself. 

   I've seen hurricanes destroy everything people have worked for, people who constantly work to keep those things and watch the hurt and loss in their faces as they see all they worked for destroyed by mother nature herself. Having things is nice, but it isn't everything.

   We wake to work and work day after day and for what? We miss out on what matters, love, friendship, family, all that money can't buy. 

   We have to find balance and start looking to what really matters in life and we must find appreciation.

   I've mentioned before that I'm thankful for the bad just as much as the good. Why? Because whatever life hands us, we are constantly being led somewhere with a new P.O.V. and I'm grateful.

   We as humans are conditioned or pretty much from a young age instilled with we have to have it all, we have to gain bigger and better material items, we have to have that nice car and house to prove we're someone. We have to have the perfect job to prove we're smart and capable. We have to have that big group of friends or a following to show we matter and we're someone. That's the biggest bullshit lie in life and we are constantly being sold on the necessity of a material world.

   Have you ever watched kids from a poor neighborhood play or from countries that have nothing but the clothes on their backs and a single meal to even those with no meals at all? You see them smile and laugh and you ask yourself while straightening that 30 dollar shirt or holding your new updated phone or watching your screen TV, how are they smiling and laughing when they have nothing?

The thing is they have everything they'll ever need, love, family, laughter. You don't need it all to have it all, you just have to appreciate what you have now and appreciate life.

   What do you appreciate right now? And naming material things doesn't count. And although appreciation for a job is great, that doesn't count either, because even though I've mentioned you can't take items when you die, you aren't gonna have your job either.

   What and who are you appreciating now? Don't forget yourself as you must be appreciative of yourself and hold your worth and your journey.

   While no doubt we'll continue to probably buy things we don't really need, but want, we should never let items define us of who we are. We shouldn't be living to prove our worth or our status in life, we should be living in appreciation of life and that's all we need.

   Appreciation is key. Being thankful and making sure we truly value and appreciate what really matters. Storms and fires can destroy everything I own and although it would suck big time, I would still have everything I needed and that matters in life. 

   I don't need a family of 100 people, I could just have one person to love me and that would be all I needed. I don't have to have or care for a ton of friends, I'm happy and fulfilled with just one. I don't need a massive amount of anything, just the simplest of what matters and I have it all.

   I could sit in the grass next to someone I love and feel like the richest person in the world. Why? Because I am.

   Appreciate what matters, for all can be lost except the love in your heart.

   I hope you smile today.