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20 facts that will make you grateful for your life
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Sometimes we take the small treasures in our everyday lives for granted. - photo by Liset Rivet
People often take the small things in life for granted. Small instances like being able to take a clean shower or being free of illness. How often do we stop thinking only about ourselves and take time to consider those who have dedicate their whole day to have the things we take for granted?

Sometimes we all need to take a moment to really notice how many gifts we have been given throughout our lives.

Here are 21 staggering statistics that will open your eyes to how many blessings you have been given so far:

1. 100 million people worldwide are homeless. Meaning they do not have a bed to sleep in or a home to keep them safe.

2. 780 million people do not have access to safe drinking water.

3. 7.5 million children under the age of five die from malnutrition every year.

4. 12.7 million people will discover they have cancer this year and 7.6 million people will die from its complications. That high amount only includes cancer patients, think about how high it would be if it included other diseases and disabilities.

5. The average salary for a person living in Afghanistan is $14 a month.

6. 37 million live below the national poverty line in the United States alone. Now imagine how many people live in poverty around the world.

7. 39 million people in the world are blind. They will never witness a sunset, see a waterfall or many of the beauties this world offers.

8. 1.1 million Americans have died serving their country since the Revolutionary War. Can you imagine how many people have died serving their countries around the world?

9. 5.3 billion people in the world live in areas with harsh religious restrictions. Everyday they pretend to believe in something they do not out of fear of facing devestating consequences and punishments.

10. 40 million people are born with disfigurements. This includes those with missing limbs or who have suffered complications from strokes.

11. There are 10 million tragic accidents every year. This counts as anything from being struck by lighting to a car accident.

12. 58,000 children are given up for adoption every year.

13. 3,000 abortions are conducted everyday because of unintended pregnancy.

14. 300,000 children around the world work as child soldiers. Usually either they were stolen or there families were killed.

15. 1/4 of humanity lives without electricity. It's not by choice, they simply can't afford it.

16. Only five out of the 196 countries in the world are debt-free.

17. There are 20 million orphans living in the world.

18. 2.5 billion people do not have access to adquate sanitation.

29. 350 million people around the world have been diagnosed with depression.

20. Only 34% of Americans have reported that they are truly happy.

Whatever your circumstances may be, there is always something to be grateful for. The small things in your life truly are the things that matter most and it is so easy to take them for granted. If you take time to notice the beautiful things around you, no matter how small they may be, you will find true happiness within each day.
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