On my toughest days, focusing on gratitude has been a lifeline. It shifts my attention from what’s wrong to what’s right.

Gratitude gives me energy and courage. It anchors me in what I have instead of what I lack, helps me see my potential, and keeps me moving forward when things get hard.

When I ...

In seventh grade, on the last day of school, a classmate kept shoving me from behind during a school assembly. I asked him to stop—more than once—but he didn’t. Finally, I told myself, If he does it one more time, I’ll take action. When he shoved me again, I followed through.

Walking out of that ...