I recently had a trip to one of the most majestic places I have seen — Palawan.  It’s been a dream for me to Scuba dive in Palawan. We lived on a boat for six days and it was really a great time to commune with nature.

The serenity and calmness of the sea gave me time to appreciate and be grateful for the life I am living.  A lot of thoughts came to my mind and my heart is overflowing with gratitude.

Looking back, life was not easy for me. I have witnessed a lot of ups and downs.  It was not a bed of roses. If there is one thing that I can attribute to where I am right now, it is my heart, my heart full  of gratitude.

Gratitude is being thankful.  It is your appreciation for the kind deeds done to you and showing kindness in return.  It is not easy to be grateful in times of trials and difficulties. But that is where the secret ingredient is.  If you know how to say “thank you” despite your misfortunes, you are slowly reversing that negative into something positive.  Do not focus on your problems. Open your eyes because you will realize that there are so many things to be thankful for that you failed to see because you set your eyes on the negative.

My grateful heart made me who I am now.  The struggles I encountered in the past, I used them to be a better and stronger person.  It also made me more compassionate and led me to this mission of serving less fortunate children through Camp Ohana Foundation.

Now, I am grateful not just for what I have accomplished in life, but I am overflowing with gratitude seeing that I am able to help change people’s lives.  I am grateful for the people of Camp Ohana Foundation because they gave more meaning to my journey in life.

Learn to count your blessings.  Start your day by saying — “Thank you for another wonderful day.”  It will make a lot of difference in your life.