How are you choosing to see life today? Do you see the ordinary in the extra-ordinary, or do you see the extra-ordinary in the ordinary? Whichever viewpoint you choose, the truth we all hopefully come to realize is that life is simply a miracle.

For much of my life, I found it very difficult to see all of life’s little miracles. Even though I did experience and express gratitude, I didn’t feel it in the depth of my soul; that disconnect was greater than me. My cynical mind would offer a million reasons why life was not a miracle. Even during my short moments of gratitude, there was more wrong than right, as duality within reigned supreme.

As time went by and life unfolded, I developed a deeper appreciation for all the wrong I had seen and experienced in my life. I came to acknowledge and embrace the fact that I did not trust the universe (or anyone in it) to have my back. My belief system was askew, and I began to understand where some of my pain was coming from. That pain kept me from seeing life’s miracles, and through awareness, I became a witness to my own insanity.

As Vernon Howard once said, “It is a true miracle when a man finally sees himself as his only opposition.” Over time, I began to understand that I was not the only one who had these notions of cynicism, these feelings that life had done me wrong. From loved ones to strangers, I came to realize there are many of us.

As I continued to heal, small little practices shifted and transformed my life. I was able to accept and change my own internal opposition by choosing to see the light in things I could not see. This was my awakening; from the depths of the darkness, I was able to see the light, a little twinkle in the darkness around me. As time went on, the twinkle became closer, bigger and brighter. The smaller things became bigger miracles, the bigger miracles became blessings. These blessings became my gift— my gift of choosing to be the miracle.

In the complexity of life, I realized that if I could shift those thoughts, feelings and beliefs, others could, too. It’s not simply about gratitude for the things we have, although that is a good place to start. Find gratitude in the things that challenge you, those things that appear the darkest. That simple step is a miracle in itself, as through that miracle we get to be the light.

As Jon Bon Jovi says, “Miracles happen every day. Change your perception of what a miracle is and you’ll see them all around you.”

Dipika is a holistic health and lifestyle coach and a crossroads specialist who empowers her clients to activate a balanced lifestyle of the mind, body and soul. She can be reached at [email protected] or www.loveyourlifehealthy.com