You've probably heard people say it before. But can being grateful help you be happier?
What is happiness? Ultimately happiness is a state of mind. A point of view. We can sometimes associate situations or events as the reason why we are happy or not happy.
However if you consider running a marathon. For some people this is something that fills them with joy and excitement. Not for me though. So it's not the marathon it's self that is good or bad. It is the difference in the feelings that I have given it.
So if we are now aware that our mind can change how we view a situation, is it too much of a leap to then believe that our mind can make us happy or not?
Just for the record I would like to let you know that I have sufferred from depression in the past. The reason why I mention this is because I have felt at times that nothing would have made me happy. In fact I may have gone as far to feel insulted if anyone told me that I could change the way I feel about something.
Depression is a different beast and dealing with that involves a lot more than just thinking positivly. But if you are sufferring from depression, just know that while this post might not help you directly now, happiness is possible just keep going.
Anyway back to being grateful.
Right now I live in a single room. Most of my friends own their own houses. Sometimes I do feel a little down about this situation but does feeling down about the situation change it at all?
No
It is a tricky task but this is how I deal with it
- Breathe deeply and slowly - As within meditation, breathing is important and can help relax.
- Think about the current moment - What can I see, what can I hear, what does my body feel. This grounds me in the reality of now. Which then helps me realise it doesn't matter if I owned a house, room or lived in a tent. Because in this split second moment I am alive and just being.
- Feel grateful that some people might look at my situation and feel that I am lucky compared to them.
It's not a magic bullet but like anything, the more you practice, the more benefit you feel.
Thanks for reading