The best way to start your day? With a cup of coffee. And the second-best way? With gratitude.

When you think about it, there are some pretty amazing things about that mug in your hands, that smell coming from it, and even the first sip itself—it’s all so luxurious!

You know what’s the best part of waking up? It’s not that you’re going to get to see your friends, or that you get to go out on an adventure. It’s not even the fact that you get to eat breakfast and coffee for every meal.

It’s that moment when you’re sitting in bed, just drinking your coffee. You’ll have a couple minutes before your phone starts going off with notifications from friends—and then it’s just you and your cup of coffee, enjoying each other’s company for as long as it takes for your phone to start buzzing.

And yeah… I love my friends, and I love adventure, but there’s nothing like that moment when you have time to yourself—just you and your cup of joe.

And think about how lucky we are to have this moment: a quiet morning before the day starts, enjoying a cup of coffee on a beautiful morning.

I’m grateful for all of that and more: I’m grateful that I have this job where I get to write about how grateful I am. It’s such a privilege to wake up every morning knowing that I’m going to spend my day writing about gratitude and feeling lucky to do so.

So next time you’re making coffee, take a minute to appreciate what you have in front of you—and then drink it up!