If I had a Million Dollars

By Suzanne Hamil, LMSW/RSW

Everybody wants a million dollars.

I mean - who wouldn’t, right? A million dollars would change your life. People dream about it. People work for it. People sacrifice for it. If I stood in front of you and offered you a million dollars - no strings attached - you’d probably say “yes” before I even finished the sentence.

But let me change the offer.

What if I gave you a million dollars…but you wouldn't wake up tomorrow morning?

You’d never open your eyes again. You’d never speak to your loved ones. You’d never feel the sun on your face or laugh at a ridiculous meme or hear your favorite song again.

Would you take the money?

No. Of course not. And that’s the point.

That means, by default, waking up tomorrow morning is worth more than a million dollars.

And yet - most of us won’t even notice it.

We don’t roll out of bed and think, “Wow, what a gift.”We don’t say, “I just won the life lottery - I opened my eyes today!”Instead, we wake up and go: “Ugh, I have so much to do.”

“What’s on my calendar?”

“I’ve got to get to work.”

We’re alive - and we don’t even celebrate it.

Now I’m not saying ignore your responsibilities or quit your job to go hug trees. I’m saying reframe how you see life.

This simple shift in perspective - from pressure to privilege, from “I have to” to “I get to” - it changes everything.

This is why I scream from the rooftops about gratitude.It’s not cheesy. It’s not corny. It’s powerful.

Gratitude is my armor. It's what gives me clarity, drive, and peace - especially when life gets messy. It's not complicated. It’s not a five-step app or a vision board or a journal with prompts.

All it takes is two minutes.

Close your eyes.

Say thank you - for the day, for your body, for the people in your life.Even when things aren’t perfect - especially when they aren’t perfect.

That little internal dialogue? That two-minute habit?It becomes a force. A compass. A lens that turns every ordinary morning into a million-dollar moment.

So tomorrow, when you wake up - before you reach for your phone, before your feet hit the floor - pause.

Take a breath.

Remember what you’d give to have just one more day.

Because today… you already got it.

That, my friends, is worth more than any amount of money.