Nothing shifts your perspective like hearing someone’s story—the kind of story that makes you pause, rethink, and feel something deep in your soul.

This week, I sat at a kitchen table in a halfway house, listening to women who had lost almost everything but were still fighting for a second chance. As they spoke, their raw honesty planted a seed in me—one that grew into something unexpected: gratitude.

Gratitude for what I once took for granted. Gratitude for the resilience of the human spirit. Gratitude for the chance to see people, really see them, beyond their past mistakes.

I used to think life was a matter of choice—that people just needed to "do better." But when you sit with someone who has battled impossible odds, you realize the world isn’t that simple. And when you open your heart to understanding, gratitude takes root in ways you never imagined.

Because even in struggle, even in loss, there is something to be thankful for. And sometimes, the hardest moments of our lives lead us to the deepest gratitude.

Are you ready to shift your perspective?