Gratitude, the way to happiness

     Gratitude is to be content and thankful in every moment of your day.  It is to accept genuinely, thankfully, peacefully and with contentment whatever happens. A state of mind that could bring satisfaction and peace. When I try to visualize how my life will look like if I could live in gratitude, I see a life full of serenity, peace and bliss. It' s heaven.

      I remember the first time my coach asked me to start a gratitude journal to help me shift my focus from what, I think, is missing in my life to what I already have and I admit it was really helpful. I noticed again many graces I used to take for granted. The gratitude journal was one of the tools that helped me to improve my relationship with my mother. In my gratitude journal I mentioned that I am grateful for having my both parents alive and they are so supportive to me. Then when I thought what I am thankful for them for, I realized that I am thankful for them for many things and my mother's criticism and interference in my life were just a way to show her interest and care. Since then my relationship with my mother has totally changed and improved due to my gratitude perspective and journal. 

      Living with a gratitude feeling in all aspects of our life is not easy and needs practice to make it deep and  ingrained. Gratitude for things that we take for granted is helpful to notice the gifts  we keep receiving in every moment of our life. To realize the value of the things we take for granted just imagine our life without it. We  never notice that the pure fresh water is a grace because we find it everywhere, but imagine how our life would look like if we have to make great effort to have a glass of water. Imagine that all the things that we take for granted like water, air, sunlight, our senses, our home, our family, our health ...etc are gone how would our life look like then think how will be our feeling when everything comes back one by one. Sure we will eventually realize how valuable each of them is.

       To start living with a gratitude perspective we need to give up complaining. Complaining is a sign of lack of gratitude. So to strengthen our sense of gratitude we need to observe ourself and consciously make the right choice, either gratitude and gain the satisfaction and positive energy it brings or complaining and accept its negative energy in addition to the harm it brings to our health and our life.