Do You Enjoy Being Unhappy ?

I meet more people that seem to enjoy thinking about what they do not have or what is going wrong in their life. I mean it is easy to do since there is always somebody who has it better than us... Or there is some goal we have not attained... Or some unfortunate occurrence that we or someone close to us will experience... And Lord knows we Americans thrive on watching the "have it" folks in the media.... Maybe we just want to be UNHAPPY MASOCHISTS ???

Now being a solid "Type A" personality, I used to get sucked into this thankless unrewarding "non-grateful" lifestyle on a regular basis. There was a quick "rush" when I achieved something, then there was always another degree, goal, position, toy, etc to attain. Then as most of my readers know, I ran myself smack into a nervous breakdown/panic attack. This is where my appreciation for the importance of "Gratitude" truly began. Quite simply:

Happiness begins with Gratitude

As you have read repeatedly, one of my core tenants is that you see what you look for. In this case, actively looking for the good things will block out and make the other things less important. Also, by doing this you will actually appreciate these little blessings more. And in the case of people, you will treat them with more love, friendship and respect, which then comes back to you.

My 3 tricks are:

• Simply being thankful that I woke up and got out bed. It is a small one, however pretty critical given the alternative.
• Create a thankful list whenever I start to feel unhappy. It does not have to be formal, just start writing and watch your mood change. (do this daily if it works for you)
• Thank other people for "ANYTHING" they do that you are grateful for. Remember that no one "OWES" you anything and "ALL" helpful acts should be appreciated.

Below are links to some additional ideas. So, be grateful and start improving your happiness level today !!!

An Attitude of Gratitude
The Happy Guy
Life is a Gift