Mindfulness - Gratitude to Find Happiness

"Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you'll never, ever have enough." - Oprah

How to be happy? It is a question we all want the answer to. Every person in the world wants one common thing, to be happy. There are books written on it, and movies made about it. We all strive for it. If you asked every person, you know what their number one wish is for themselves and their loved ones they will tell you, "To be happy." Happiness has one main ingredient, gratitude. Having gratitude for all that is good in your world is the breeding ground for endless joy. Gratitude is the force that brings us real joy.

When we neglect to recognize all the good in our lives our spirit and life reflect it. Imagine an open field that has been neglected, filled with bare dirt and weeds. Our thoughts of lack spread like weeds in an area. Just as our soul does when it has been ignored by gratitude. The more scarcity we focus on that more it grows and soon takes over our lives. It is like shining a spotlight on all of the "bad" things you see. Pretty soon the "bad" is all you notice — the repetitive action of only being aware of the negative, shapes of our personalities.

Misery loves company. Boy, isn't that the truth? Have you ever noticed that if you complain to someone about a particular event in your life, they jump right in with their equally horrible thoughts? In our society, it is perfectly acceptable to be unhappy and complain about how crappy life is. It is almost we are uncomfortable being happy around others like we are doing something wrong. When we are asked, "How are you today?" The standard response is, "Fine or Okay." It is even alright to say, "You know the same shit different day." As soon as we give this lackluster, blanketed statement, the other person validates our state of mind by agreeing with us because misery loves company! Take the same scenario only change the response to the question, "How are you today?" with a positive, happy one. "I'm amazing. I'm having a great day!" The person who asked the question is taken back, almost offended by the response given. They may even sarcastically say, "Oh, well is that just peachy for you." It is odd that everyone wants to be happy, yet happiness makes those who are not delighted uncomfortable. People hold on to misery so tightly, if they can't find something currently to be unhappy that they will look to the past. They will talk about their hardships in school, or how someone wronged them. They will retell their sad story over and over until they are miserable.

Take notice of the people who are filled with joy, have gratitude for the good in their world. Where others see the "bad" in the world, they see the good. These happy people sow the field of their soul with seeds of gratitude which grow flowers. The flowers of appreciation soon overcome the weeds of negativity. The once barren ground slowly turns into a vast garden of colorful flowers of joy. Surround yourself with these happy people. Both happiness and unhappiness are contagious if you are going to catch a personality quality better to catch happiness than misery.

Gratitude is a life game changer! When you are thankful for what you have, you have more good. The good multiplies tenfold. If you want more money have gratitude for the money you do have. If you desire to lose weight, be thankful for the two legs you have to walk. See the world through a rose-colored lens. Your attitude determines what kind of day you will have.

"Things don't change, the way you see them does." - Wayne Dyer

If you are having a difficult time finding things to be grateful for start with the fact that you woke up this morning. Each morning 300,000 didn't wake up. You did. Have gratitude for your life. Each of those 300,000 people who did not wake up has loved ones they left. That's 3 million people who lost a loved one today. You didn't. Be grateful you did not lose a loved one last night.

There is plenty of good in every mans life. All you need to do is open your eyes and see it. When you do the abundance of joy will flood your heart. A good practice to adopt to help be more mindful of the things you are grateful for is to list three things you are grateful each morning. First thing in the morning, before the business of the day takes you away, write down three things you are grateful for. They can be small or big. Size doesn't matter.

Notice if after practicing a gratitude journal if you outlook and attitude on life is brighter.