This may seem like a broad statement to squeeze into a blog post that’s less than 1,000 words, but I’m going to give it my best shot. Every day, everywhere I go, I see people that are miserable with their lives and, despite desperately looking for a way out, they seem to find themselves stuck in a rut time and time again.
But when approached, it seems as though the vast majority of these people have given up hope and are trying to learn just to accept how their lives have turned out. But this doesn’t have to be the case.
After much thought, I came to the conclusion that there was one thing missing from these people’s lives. Gratitude.
What is Gratitude?
Officially defined, gratitude is the quality or personality trait for which you are thankful and appreciative of something or someone. It can also be described as having a readiness to show that appreciation.
I believe this is missing out of so many people’s lives and it’s causing emotional problems to their wellbeing. Most of the people I spoke to about the subject were also miserable with the fact that they didn’t have everything they wanted in life.
Maybe they wanted a new car, a new house or a steady relationship. Some people wanted to move forward in their careers or wanted to branch out and start a new hobby. Some wanted a holiday. However, there’s only thing that all these hopes and dreams had in common.
These were all things that these individuals didn’t have. And this remained common throughout anyone I applied this concept too.
The Problem
So when it came to talking to people, instead of focusing on the positive attributes of their lives and being grateful for what they did have already, many people were looking at the future to want they could have to what they wanted.
In short, this is a conditioning on society. Everywhere you look, you’re bombarded by marketing and advertising telling you to buy and what you should be looking to purchase next. This has been going on for decades now, even as far back as the 50s and 60s, if not before, meaning it’s now hard-wired into our conscious mind.
Even when we feel like that we might not pay attention to them, if you can see them, your brain is processing that information. For some of us, society has been this way since we were born, meaning it’s all we’ve ever known.
A Distracted Reality
All in all, this means that our minds are constantly craving new and exciting things, whether it’s the latest smartphone, a holiday or even a meal in a restaurant. This means we often overlook the fact that we already have many positive things in our lives.
For many of us, we all have a roof over our head; we have friends and family that surround us, we have a smartphone, access to food, water and heating and much more. These are the things in life we need to start being grateful for, and although it may seem simplistic, this is how you can achieve a happier life.
This is because you’re not constantly thinking about how unhappy you will be until you get the thing you want, you’re already happy because of what you do have. Adopting this mindset is a great way to become happier while actively reducing stress and anxiety.
But how can you adopt this mindset?
Meditation on Achieving Gratefulness
One of the best ways to achieve this state of gratefulness is through meditation. This is because you’ll be able to take a minute or two out of your life where you’ll be able to bring your mind to the present moment.
While here, you won’t be thinking about what you want to buy next or the experience you want to have in the future. Instead, you’ll be thinking about what’s going on right now. You’ll be focused on your breath, thinking about how your boy feels, as well as the condition of your immediate environment.
These are all things you can be grateful for which will, in turn, and with practice, will allow you to live a happier, much more appreciative life.
