The Magical Key to Happiness

Hey All! Hope you had a great start to your week! This weekend I got to see Aladdin and I remembered how much I admired and had a crush on Aladdin. I mean, how could you not?

The story of Aladdin was very appealing to me. A diamond in the rough meets a girl and decides to take a risk in order to be with her. All of the main characters, slaves to each of their situations. By the end, they are able to break free of their situations and get a happily ever after. So, if you had your doubts, or maybe you had certain feelings about who plays Genie, I recommend it, go out and see it!

Now, I’m going to get straight to the punch line today.

The Magical Key to Happiness: Gratitude

For Real. Gratitude is the Key to Happiness. Now, when you are depressed and angry, you just lost someone, your financial down on your luck, I can keep going with list, the point is that when your in that state of being, gratitude is one of the last things you want to be told in order to be happy. When can I be happy when x,y,z happened? How can I be happy when I’ve lost x,y,z?

Trust me, I did not want to hear it. I did not want to hear it for months.

Then, with therapy, books, apps, I noticed a common thread, a key element in which each one was repeating. Gratitude. Gratitude came up time and again. List what you are grateful for, look around you and list the things you are grateful for. Look back and list what you are grateful for having.

I didn’t understand why listing what I was grateful for mattered. I am a grateful person, whether I list it daily, weekly, monthly, doesn’t matter, how is that going to help?

Then I understood why. Slowly, but I got why.

By listing what you are grateful for the following happens:

1. Your focus is brought to happier times, lessons learned and present times

When you list the things you are grateful for, it forces you to focus on times that are happier, lessons that you learned and also more present times. Sure, you can be sarcastic – I am grateful for the clouds *eye roll*, but is that really going to help? No. Be truthful. I am grateful for the opportunities that I have had. Dig down even further. I am grateful I got to have 1 on 1 time with my dad before he passed. I am grateful for the lessons my ex taught me. I am grateful I can sit in front of a computer and be able to type this to you all with my own two hands.

2. The Should, Could, Woulds slowly fade from your thoughts

When you start practicing gratitude in this manner (calling it out daily), the should, could and woulds, you start recognizing how often you use them. Often times its related to something in the past. I should have done this, I could have done this, Would this have happened if, but if it should then could? After awhile it seemed ridiculous to focus on things that are not in your control and no longer changeable. Why keep revisiting the past? As if anyone has the power to change the past. I am a big proponent of things happen for a reason, and you are meant to be where you are for a reason.

Another thing happens, you realize your decision making tends to be a little more finite. Should, could, would start becoming, I will, I won’t, Yes, No.

3. Little things that would bother you, don’t really seem to matter

The scope of gratitude makes things that would bother you, just don’t seem like they matter in the grand scheme of things. Perfect example: I was at the airport the other day on memorial day, our flight was packed and we were slightly delayed. The gate attendant let those who needed extra help go on the plane, while they were getting on she took the time to recognize active and inactive military members on the flight. Amongst the applause, a fellow passenger complained “God, can’t we just get on the god d*** plane?” I was appalled. We were acknowledging why we even have this holiday, grateful for what those military members had sacrificed for us. I also thought it was genius that the gate attendant allowed the passengers that needed more time, time to settle on the plane. Seriously, we were all getting on the plane, did it really matter? I was grateful for her and made sure when I finally got to board, to thank her for what she did. The smile on her face was worth it.

4. You become more verbal with your own gratitude

In the above situation, and quite a few others, I found myself thanking people on a frequent bases. Mainly, it felt like the right thing to do. The value of the experience, the interaction we may have had, maybe they did something for me, I felt that in the world we live in today, we don’t take the time and thank each other enough. I want that to change. To me, its like we are thanking the other person for being alive and sending good thoughts and feelings their way. If I can do that and make someones day, I’ll do it. All it takes is a smile and two words “Thank You”

5. The future looks a little bit brighter

After a while, when you recognize and gone several days, weeks, months over what you are thankful for, the future looks a little brighter. You get hopeful again. Things don’t look as bleak as they used to.

If you really take the time and dig into the items you are grateful for, you’ll see the pay off in the long run. Give it a shot.

Need an extra boast? Maybe some daily encouragement? I recommend the Shine App, not only are there different articles and talks each day, but your asked to fill out a section in which you can do a daily gratitude. You can find out more about this app by checking out my review using the button below.

The Golden Gelly Nuggets
1. Practicing Gratitude changes your focus
2. You experience better self talk
3. You don’t get irritated as much
4. Take the time and thank someone
5. The future seems filled with better possibilities
6. Aladdin was good, go see it 🙂