It doesn't cost you to be grateful

No matter how bad the situation is, there is always something to be grateful about. Having a smartphone with Internet to read this answer is something to be grateful about. Having hands to operate the device is something to be grateful about. If you live as a entitled person, no matter how good situation is, you will always think I deserve more. Being grateful helps you enjoy what you have. It makes you more grounded in failures and in success. It keeps your mind positive.

A nice feeling thought will create another one, and another one, and another one until you’re engrossed in a really warm cozy emotion. Now let’s assume you are driving down the highway with the firm belief that you’re going to get into an accident. Your brain is going to draw your attention to big-looking trucks or scary curves or loose boulders. You’re going to end up doing really stupid things out of fear that bring you closer and closer to the event of a crash.

Now say you decide the next day to be more welcoming and accepting of this highway. You look out the window and appreciate the scenery, and you feel the smooth road under you and thank the workers who must’ve spent hours to make this drive a good experience, and then you tell yourself you’re going to smile at the other drivers, and you put a good tape on. You are training your brain to maintain a focused, and strong sense of confidence on this highway. Your chances of survival are higher now. The same goes with life.

Practicing and being in a state of gratitude most definitely makes life much, much better. Around August is when I found out this was something you could do everyday, not just every blue moon. So at first just a couple times a week, I’d reflect on how far I’ve come and then think of everything I do have, instead of everything I desired. After a few weeks doing it a couple times a week, I definitely noticed results. I was content with life more often and the volatility of my depression went down a little.

By September, practicing and living in gratitude has become a habit. I’m doing it everyday all day. My depression hasn’t kicked my ass in months and I’m in constant awe at how beautiful and amazing life really is. Being grateful makes your life better because you’re focusing your energy on positives instead of negatives. Wherever you focus your energy is where it’s gonna go. Once you do this and it becomes a regular ass part of your life, you’ll learn and see that happiness simply really is just a choice. Trust me.

I think most of us have some anger or resentment about things that have happened in our lives, whether that is a rough childhood, disappointing relationships with family, or coworkers or friends, neighbors, the guy on the street or crazy drivers. By being appreciative or the big or little occurrences in our lives, it keeps us from being bitter, lashing out at others possibly, makes us happier. I can be appreciative of good health or financial stability, or wonderful friends.

I can also be appreciative of the person who allowed me to get in their lane while driving, my roses in my front yard growing, the gorgeous sky and stars at night, for good weather, for a delicious cup of coffee. Appreciating important moments, or silly little things make us happier, more balanced people, and helps us get through rougher times as we all experience those.

Let us?make a gratitude list pretty much daily, in my head ( too lazy to write out a list), or if I start feeling sorry for myself, I think of just 5 things to be grateful for. It turns around my day. I also use the “Calm” app on my iPhone and meditate. There are also several other apps. If you like, find the best one for you. Some have free options that are helpful. If cost is not an issue people can subscribe annually or less for the app that fits best for them. Cheers!