Being grateful for the good things in your life will help you recognize all the goodness in it, thus increasing your happiness.
¿When was the last time you were grateful?
Perhaps when someone did you a favor or said something nice to you?
We are accustomed to expressing gratitude for the actions of others toward us, which is a great virtue.
¿When was the last time you were grateful to yourself?
We generally view life from a perspective of scarcity, worrying about the things we lack. We are always pursuing something and believe that our worth is determined by the things we can buy or the goals we have achieved.
We occupy all our time and mental capacity in finding ways to obtain them, and when it takes longer than expected or we simply don’t succeed, we then feel that our entire life is filled with negative situations, and we are the unluckiest people in the world.
To make matters worse, this is when we start comparing ourselves to others, remembering that acquaintance who seems to have it easy, the one who effortlessly has what you desire so much.
This attitude makes us feel even worse and reinforces our perception of being very unlucky.
All comparison stems from our ego, and we do it from our incomplete perspective. The person we compare ourselves to, even envy, the one who seems to have everything easy in life is essentially the same as you. Life brings them challenges to face and learn from.
I once heard a Buddhist monk say, if you’re going to compare yourself, do it with someone who has less than you. We often think that there are people who have it easier than us, but we only see one aspect of their life and do not know the other challenges they are facing.
However, by looking at people who are apparently less fortunate than you, you can appreciate the plate of food on your table and the fact that you have a safe place to sleep.
We are accustomed to seeing the negative things; let’s learn to see the good things that we all have– Ray Marfil.
Seeing life from abundance
Life is a balance; while there are negative things, there are also many positive ones. Everything that goes away is always replaced by something that will help us grow.
So why does it seem like my life is always filled with negative things? Because we’re used to seeing what’s missing to fix it, we focus on solving problems.
But we forget the other half, to appreciate and enjoy the things that are going well.
¿How can I appreciate those good things in my life?
Just as we dedicate time to solve problems and learn from them, set aside time to recognize the good things in your life and express gratitude for them. Every night before going to sleep, review the good things that happened that day (how to keep a gratitude journal?).
You can start with simple things like being alive, having loved ones nearby, or any achievement you’ve accomplished, and sincerely give thanks from the heart. As you do this, recall the happiness these moments bring you and savor them. Cultivating this habit in your life will help you acknowledge the perfect balance that exists within it.
On one hand, you have challenges, and on the other, you have the people and abilities that will help you face them to continue your learning process.
