When I was approached to write this piece, I laughed, loud and long. Not because I don’t think I have anything to be grateful for, but because my immediate thought was, “where on earth do I start?”

Well, humour me a bit and read on as I begin by painting a picture of my average day.

I wake up at 6am, do my morning rituals, prepare my older daughter for nursery and then, off we go at 7.15 to drop her and then on to some fitness activity, which depending on the day, could be tennis or swimming or zumba.

Then back home for a quick shower and breakfast and then I’m off to my work which is a mix of media, public relations and development concerns.

By noon, I’m off to get my girl back home for lunch, another shower for her and then a nap. Then I catch up with my younger daughter, play and read to her and then spend the next couple of hours catching up with my personal projects which usually involve writing, editing and research for work.

Before I know it, it’s time to start prepping dinner and then, early evening my husband gets back and at 7pm, we sit down to dinner as a family.

Afterwards, we chill out a bit with the girls, talk about our respective days and then again, depending on the day, I’m either off to a PTA board meeting or giving an interview to a local newspaper about curating and exhibiting Nigerian art in Brunei Darusalaam, where I currently live.

Then, I come back home, we put the girls to bed and then I try to further unwind. At about 11pm or midnight, depending on how much social media stalking I’m doing, it’s bedtime, for me.

Now, I’ve done the above to try as best as I can to create a visual of a random day in my life. As a mum and wife, fortunate enough to pick my working hours and being able to be truly present for my family, my gratitude knows no bounds.

To be honest, 2015 has been a relatively okay year, it’s the preceding ones that have been downright challenging and have changed the way I view life: Now, I just ‘Carpe Diem’.

The way I see it, there’s always way too much to be thankful for and it’s when times get trying, that we realise how good we’ve had it before the storm. As 2016 beckons, permit me to share a few tips I live by: Worry less, laugh more, savour your moments with loved ones, (try to) eat well (and stay fit) and remember, the future is always bright.

Growing up, I had grand visions of my adult life and career trajectory and whilst things are definitely not anywhere near my aspirations, I remain a mogul in the making: Working hard, staying focused and being eternally thankful for my abundant blessings. After all, how else does one get more blessed?

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30 Days of Gratitude is a month-long series curated by Leading Ladies Africa. It chronicles the unique experiences of different African women, and presents them the opportunity to share their, life-learned lessons, dreams& aspirations, and their hopes for the future.

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Op-Ed Editor