"No one is as capable of gratitude as one who has emerged from the kingdom of night. Just as there is nothing like challenge to advance the spirit, there is nothing like a feeling of being trapped - without options - to limit it. The feeling of being imprisoned or unable to move forward, however, is common. The kingdom of night is relative. For one it might be an addiction or abusive relationship. For another it may be economic hardship. For yet another it may be a limiting job or even depression. Whatever our environment, it is likely that we will eventually face life circumstances that appear to trap us or limit our options. The answer is simple to those who view it from the outside. "Just leave!", they say, or, "Get over it!". What others can't see is what is real to those who are trapped: our minds build the prison walls. Our thoughts line them with barbed wire. Our internal judgments become the patrolling guards. We can't escape until we learn to tunnel or climb through those barriers and walk past the guards. If you are living in the kingdom of night, escape is not only possible, but essential to your survival. If you will first learn to see and appreciate your invisible blessings - you are alive, you can think and dream, a new day is a new opportunity to bring about change in your life - you will begin to see possibility instead of limitations. Searching for and being thankful for what is positive in every situation will be digging your tunnel. (Even if your positive thing is that 'it could have been worse'!) Write down the list of things you're thankful for - there may not be many at first - because that's building your ladder. Review it daily, and add to it. This becomes your gratitude journal, even if the entries say things like 'I'm glad I had lunch', or 'I wasn't hit by a bus today'. This simple process has the power to transform your life. If the dust settles and you're still standing, there's a reason for it... now start walking! You can leave the kingdom of night. You can start walking toward the gates right now. Your freedom begins with being thankful for the small things - gaining courage and strength to reach the big things. Never underestimate the power of believing in someone. If you know someone living in the kingdom of night, you could demand they leave. Or you could hand them a shovel and a light."

-- Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor, Romanian-US novelist Accepting Nobel Peace Prize (1986)