To Be Happy Adopt the Attitude of Gratitude

If you want to be happy, be grateful!

Adopt the attitude of gratitude!

Play a game with yourself. From the time the sun rises or when the alarm rings to wake you up, say aloud what you are grateful for. Do you find that difficult to do? Don't worry. Start simply. You don't have to use complicated gratitude speeches or superfluous words.

When you wake up and your beautiful eyes blink wide open, say it. "Oh I'm glad I can open my eyes!" There that wasn't so difficult right? Next step. When you sit up on your bed and rub the sleep from your eyes, say it. "Oh I can move my hands! Wow!" Now you are off to a great start. So you walk and comb your hair and sit on the throne to dispel food from last night's heavy dinner, notice it. You could actually do these things! Without effort...without even thinking about it or calling the army to help you! See...this is just the beginning of this gratitude attitude.

I drive my car everyday to work and everyday, when I slid into the driver's seat, I close my eyes and say thank you that I can comfortably drive myself to work. I thank my family for giving me this car. If it's traffic on the road, I thank the traffic so I could have more time to sing my favorite songs on the radio or listen to an audio teaching or talk with a friend on the cellphone (of course, using the ear phone for safety!)

But I must be honest with you too that there are days when my mind is preoccupied and I catch myself already forgetting to be grateful; and have launched literally hundreds of complaints and what have you's that brings me to a dark and miserable place. Frustration sets in and I want to scream and be really, really cranky! And does it help? It does help to air out the frustration but when I get into that MOOD, it is awful. I feel awful! So what do I do? I can't --not out of the blue anyway-- say the things that I am grateful about. It feels really like a "faky thing" you know. So I do something that makes me feel a bit better instead. Even a teeny weeny bit. I go out in the garden and just stare at the trees. Or I go to the classroom and be with the kids. And hey, when I feel a bit better then I start saying my gratitude aloud. This will bring you happiness and joy.

And so it goes. Now give me a smile. I would like to tell you that I am grateful you took the time to read this post. Hugs....

101 Things to be Grateful For: This is a list I compiled to help us remember some of the things we can be grateful for.

Michelle Simtoco

 

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