What Does Lead to Happiness Part 1:

Gratitude and Generosity

“When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the morning light, for your life and strength. Give thanks for your food, and the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies with yourself.”

-Tecumseh, Shawnee Chief

For the first step in gratitude: stop reading this sentence and take a look around you. Now, take one deep inhale in, and one long exhale out. Make note of each and every detail: your feelings, thoughts, and environment. Then answer this question - what are you grateful for at this very moment? No matter where you are, what you’ve experienced, or what you’re feeling, there is always something to be grateful for. Studies on well-being show if you practice gratitude for at least a few minutes a day, you can greatly improve your happiness. But in a culture that contaminates our minds with the message that we must put ourselves first - that we are entitled to a life of consumption and self-centeredness - it can be difficult to know what practicing gratitude and generosity (both material, mental, and spiritual) even looks like. 

We may say grace before dinner or thank a worker for their service, but how often do we feel that gratitude deep in our bones? Long-term happiness cannot be cultivated through a simple “thank you” tacked on at the end of an engagement or when receiving a benefit to which you feel entitled. Instead, happiness is promoted by “Grateful Living” - as clarified by Brother David Steindl-Rast. Grateful Living is engaging with every moment as the opportunity to see with love, wholeness, openness, and connection - no matter your internal or external conditions. Grateful living asks how often you give gratitude wholeheartedly without expecting anything in return? Have you ever thanked a tree for its shade, a stranger for their smile, a flower for its beauty, a friend for their laughter, or an apple for its nourishment? Have you ever thanked what you did not want, for the sheer reflection that some things in life may hold a purpose towards your growth? 

Gratitude is the power we have in transforming every moment to an opportunity for ourselves and others to develop and grow. If you’re currently feeling unhappy, question if you’re creating an unhappy world. Recognize what you give attention to throughout the day – are you focused on your fears and what you’re lacking or what you love and where you have abundance? Are you seeing life with a glass half empty or a glass half full? According to happiness expert Shawn Achor, gratitude makes this question irrelevant. Whether the glass is half empty or half full becomes not important if you have a pitcher full of gratitude to replenish yourself at anytime!