I have never realized how spoiled I've been as a kid. I used to be a picky eater. If the food didn't look really appetizing, I wouldn't even try it. Aside from that, I would react poorly when I did not get the thing I asked for. And what's worse is that I thought everyone was like this. However, I recently realized that some people don't have it as good as I do. With this knowledge, I made a new belief that I would follow. I believe in appreciating the things you have
   

Not long ago, my friend and I went to an Imagine Dragons concert in Boston. Halfway there it started pouring, but I didn't mind. I was listening to some music and sitting comfortably in the car. When we arrived it was still pouring, but inside the stadium, there was heating and a roof. I soon forgot about the cold, wet rain outside and immersed myself in the performance.

When the concert ended, the weather started to get really bad. The wind was so strong that it felt like it could carry me off.  The sky would periodically flash as lightning boomed in the clouds. As I was running to the car, I glimpsed a man trying to find shelter from the rain out of the corner of my eye. All he had to protect himself was a pair of torn sweatpants and a filthy sweatshirt. He carried a cardboard sign which I assumed was some kind of advertisement. I thought “why on Earth would you advertise in this kind of weather!”. Once I reached the car I got nice and comfy again and I forgot about the disastrous weather outside. I put on the butt warmers as high as they would go and started to dry. As we were driving off I saw the man again and realized that he was homeless, and the sign was asking for people to help him.
    

All the way home, I could not stop thinking about him. I let myself imagine what his life must be like. In my mind, I saw him having little food and less money. Throughout the day he goes around begging for spare change. During the night he goes to his “home”, likely a sleeping bag in a cardboard box. In the winter he gets very cold, and in the summer he gets a lot of bug bites because he can't afford bug spray. He might feel dirty and ugly because he can't find a place to shower. If he gets injured, he has to deal with it because he can't afford to go see a doctor. He Has no heating or air conditioning, no house, and no friends or family he can talk to. In fact, I'm probably warmer and more relaxed in this car than he has been in a long time.

This experience made me realize I may not live in a mansion or have the latest iPhone, but I do get a home. I have a constant supply of food and water, friends, and family that loves me. I sleep comfortably in my warm bed, and never have to worry about the heat or the cold.

Sometimes I'll catch myself thinking “That guy is so lucky because he has the newest model of this phone”.  But then I'll think about how good I have it. I'll think to myself I may not have the latest iPhone, but at least I have a home with a family that loves me. And that thought will lift my bad mood because I believe in appreciating the things you have.