Tania Luna: How a penny made me feel like a millionaire

As a young child, Tania Luna and her family left Ukraine to take refuge in the United States. They stayed in a New York homeless shelter, but because of their language barrier, they believed it was a hotel. One night, Tania finds a rusted penny on the floor of her family's room. She thinks this money was dropped by a king: why else would someone waste money? She feels rich while holding this penny, even though she has so little. Years later, Tania meets her husband, Brian. Brian was also homeless as a child, struggling to survive with rotten food on a day to day basis. He did, however, have a shoe box that held is favorite possessions. As a married couple, Tania and Brian adopted a dog that had grown up in a homeless shelter as well. While watching their dog Scarlet roll around in the grass in a nearby park, Tania and Brian remember their pasts, but also reflect on the little joys brought to them over the years, bringing them gratitude beyond belief.

This talk made me realize the importance of finding the positives in everyday life. Even though it seems like we have so little at times or that life is "tough", we have countless things to be thankful for. Finding the positives in everyday life can make us feel like the richest people in the world.