Let me encourage you to get up every day and focus on what you

Hear now the words of Victoria Osteen, who speaks not with the voice of despair but with the steady tone of hope: “Let me encourage you to get up every day and focus on what you do have in life. Be thankful for the blessings of the little things, even when you don’t get what you expect.” This is not the wisdom of idle comfort, but of one who knows the storms of human longing, the disappointments of unmet expectations, and the quiet strength that gratitude can bring. Her words are a call to live with eyes wide open—not fixed on what is absent, but illumined by what is already present.

The first jewel in her teaching is the call to rise each day with focus. She does not say to drift, nor to brood, but to set one’s attention deliberately upon the gifts of life. Each morning is a new summons, a chance to choose where the heart will dwell. Shall it rest in discontent, forever counting the things denied? Or shall it fix itself upon what has been given—the breath in the lungs, the food on the table, the hand of a loved one? To focus is to command the soul, to train it like a warrior who directs his eyes toward the light even when darkness surrounds him.

The second flame is her command to be thankful. Gratitude is the shield that defends the heart from bitterness. It is not passive acceptance, but active recognition. To give thanks is to transform a crumb into a feast, a drop of water into a fountain, a passing smile into a treasure. The ancients knew this truth: the one who thanks for little will be entrusted with more, but the one who despises small blessings will never be satisfied, even if he gains the world.

The third truth is her mention of the little things. Too often, men and women wait for great victories before they rejoice. They long for wealth, for recognition, for miracles, and while they wait, they trample upon the daily mercies that surround them. Yet life is not made of endless mountaintops, but of countless steps along the path. The laughter of a child, the warmth of the sun, the quiet strength of a friend—these are the little things that, when gathered, become the true treasure of a life well-lived.

History gives us a mirror in the life of Helen Keller, who, blind and deaf, could have despaired at what she lacked. Yet she learned to be thankful for the touch of her teacher’s hand, for the sensation of water against her palm, for the letters traced into her skin. These little things became doors to a universe of meaning. Her life became a testament to Osteen’s wisdom: even when denied much, to rejoice in what remains is to open the soul to greatness.

The fourth jewel in her words is the warning about expectation. We all walk with hopes, but life seldom bends fully to our desires. To demand that the world give us only what we expect is to condemn ourselves to perpetual disappointment. But to accept life as it comes, to find joy even in the unexpected, is to live with strength unbroken. Gratitude does not blind us to ambition—it steadies us when ambition is unmet. It says, “Even here, even now, I will rejoice.”

The lesson for us is clear: each day, choose to focus on what you have, not on what you lack. Be thankful for the little things, for they are not little in truth. And when expectations are shattered, do not let your heart be shattered with them. Instead, turn your gaze to the blessings that remain. In doing so, you will not only survive, but flourish.

Practically, begin each morning by naming three blessings—small or great—that you possess. Write them down, speak them aloud, or whisper them in prayer. When disappointment comes, resist bitterness by deliberately finding one good thing still present in your life. Train your heart to see abundance where others see only emptiness. In this way, you will live in the spirit of Osteen’s teaching, and your days will be crowned with peace.

Thus, the words of Victoria Osteen stand as a guiding light: rise daily with gratitude, rejoice in the little things, and give thanks even when expectations fail. For in such a spirit, the soul finds joy unshaken, strength unbroken, and a life that shines like a beacon to all who walk the same path.