As the Personal is Political blogs come to an end this semester, I wanted to reflect on all of my previous posts about my father’s small business. Through all the hardships, struggles, community building, and of course, the positive experiences I have witnessed and experienced through being the daughter of someone who owns a small business, the greatest lesson and takeaway I want everyone to understand is the power of being grateful for all the experiences and things you may have in life.

As I have mentioned, owning a small business and being a part of a family that owns one comes with various ups and downs. However, it is important to understand that this is a universal experience that everyone, regardless of their job or where they came from, must go through. Truth be told, there is no certainty in how much longer my father’s business will stay open, much like how there is no certainty in anything in life. I have recently learned of more stressors and struggles that my father and his business are facing. But instead of being upset about a possible future, I think it is more important to reflect on what has already happened, how far we have come, and the people and experiences I have met and had along the way. Instead of thinking about the future, which many of us college students do daily, I have chosen to live in the present. Although this is very difficult to do, I strongly encourage others to try this in any aspect of their life, even if it is in a smaller way such as being present with friends or family.

I am beyond grateful to be the daughter of someone who is so hardworking and passionate about something he has known and been a part of for so long. Although he may not show or say it, I know my father is grateful for everything he has experienced while owning his store as well. Throughout my personal experiences and stories that I have heard about the store, I have learned the importance of being grateful even for the hardships, struggles, or anything “negative” that may have come up. It’s important to try to turn around one’s perspective of certain events that may be going on in one’s life, especially if they seem not so good or may effect your well-being.

I know I may sound crazy and I understand that this is way easier said than done. But I promise with a little practice in this everyday (from small things like being upset that you missed the bus and turning your viewpoint around to think “Well now I get to enjoy the campus views on my walk”), you will start to see the benefits in your mood and well-being almost instantly. If you do not want to take advice from a current undergraduate student (which I totally understand, I promise I have no hard feelings), maybe instead consider taking advice from my professor who has their doctorate degree in psychology and teaches a class on positive psychology in which she wrote the book for it. If there is one thing that she tells her students to take away from her class, it’s the idea that things like mindfulness and being aware of one’s negative emotions will allow one to flourish. Being grateful and living in the present are some of the best ways to improve emotional well-being, no matter who you are or where you come from.