No matter how bad things are, you can at least be happy that you

The words of D. L. Hughley shine with a wisdom simple yet eternal: “No matter how bad things are, you can at least be happy that you woke up this morning.” It is a teaching not wrapped in philosophy but in the raw clarity of life itself—that existence is the first blessing, and to wake once more beneath the rising sun is a gift greater than sorrow, greater than defeat, greater even than despair.

He begins with the acknowledgment that things can be bad. Life is not an unbroken string of joy; it is riddled with trials, failures, griefs, and struggles that weigh upon the spirit. There are days when burdens crush the heart, when dreams are shattered, when hope seems faint. Yet Hughley points to the truth that undergirds all: you still woke up this morning. And in that single fact lies possibility. For the living may stumble, but the dead cannot rise.

The ancients knew this truth. The Stoic philosopher Seneca reminded his pupils each night that death might come before morning, so that each dawn would be received with gratitude. To awaken is to be granted another chance, another breath, another moment to act, to love, to change. Hughley’s words echo this ancient teaching: do not curse the troubles of the day without first rejoicing that you live to face them at all.

History bears witness to this resilience. Nelson Mandela, after decades imprisoned in darkness, emerged to the light of freedom not with bitterness, but with gratitude that he lived to see another morning. It was this spirit that gave him strength to heal a nation. The conditions of his life had been cruel, yet each new day was an opportunity, and from that opportunity, he forged peace. So too does Hughley urge us to take joy in the mere fact of waking, for from it springs the hope of transformation.

The lesson is simple, but profound: life itself is the foundation of hope. When you rise from sleep, no matter how heavy your burdens, you stand already victorious over death’s silence. That is reason enough to give thanks. And gratitude for life kindles strength to bear its hardships, for those who remember the gift of waking cannot easily be crushed by the weight of the day.

This wisdom calls us also to practice mindfulness. Too often we rise and forget to notice the miracle of the breath in our lungs, the light upon our face, the chance to begin anew. But if each morning we pause—even for a moment—to give thanks that we still live, then even our darkest days will be tempered by light. For gratitude is a shield that blunts despair, and joy, even in its smallest spark, is enough to sustain the weary.

Therefore, children of the future, take this truth into your hearts: rejoice each morning you awaken. Do not wait for perfect days to be grateful. Even when the storms rage, let gratitude for life itself be your anchor. For as long as you wake, there is hope, there is action, there is possibility. Let this remembrance carry you, and you will find strength to endure, courage to act, and faith to continue.

Thus, D. L. Hughley’s words, spoken with humility and humor, become eternal wisdom: to wake is to be blessed, to live is to be victorious, and to breathe is to be rich beyond measure. No matter how bad things seem, take joy in the dawn—for where there is morning, there is still the chance for greatness.