I was born on October 4, 2004. As a 6-month-old baby, I struggled with constant illness until I turned 3. My parents rarely slept through the night. They often rushed me to hospitals at 3 a.m. My mother still shares stories of arriving in torn skirts, desperate just to keep me alive. Those nights left a mark on her—and later on me.
As I grew, I began to carry another kind of weight. Whenever I asked for a pair of shoes or school trousers, I rarely got them. My sister’s requests, however, were almost always met. The comparisons were constant, and I soon believed them. I walked through childhood and adolescence with the label of “unlucky boy.”
That belief lingered until I graduated from high school. Then I met a mentor who introduced me to the idea of personal growth. For the first time, I wondered if my story could be different.
In 2020, I read my first personal development book, As a Man Thinketh by James Allen. I realized how my thoughts were shaping my life. I decided to take action, even as COVID-19 peaked.
My drive became clear: to turn my struggles into stories that could inspire others. By 2022, I enrolled in university. Two years later, I discovered gratitude journaling, and it changed me completely. On January 12, 2024, I bought my first journaling notebook. Each evening, I wrote down my thoughts before going to bed.
Almost a year later, while taking a copywriting course on LinkedIn Learning, every trainer emphasized the importance of gratitude journaling. I realized this was something I needed to take even more seriously. So, on December 31, 2024, I went to the Play Store to search for a gratitude app—and luckily, I found this one. Since then, I’ve been using it every morning. Today, I’m on a 254-day streak.
At first, it felt small. But within five months, my mindset had shifted completely. The boy who once felt unlucky began to notice blessings everywhere. My energy increased, my perspective widened, and I even found myself sending thank-you messages to friends and family—just to show my appreciation.
Soon after, journaling turned into affirmations. Affirmations became habits. And habits shaped my identity. I was no longer “the unlucky boy.” I became grateful. Grateful for good health. Grateful for my country. Grateful for my relationships.
My new identity opened doors. I landed a copywriting job even before graduating with my journalism degree. I was hired not just for my writing skills but for my positivity. Gratitude connected me with CEOs, mentors, and people—from Kenya to the world. Most importantly, it gave me peace within myself.
Gratitude hasn’t erased my struggles, past or present. But it has changed how I view them. It has turned old wounds into lessons, old doubts into fuel, and old labels into a new identity.
Today, gratitude is my lifestyle. I find it in small things: a calm, lovely morning, having enough to eat in a day, or a new pair of socks.
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