Why we need more gratitude?

"Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful." - Buddha.

"Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realise they were the big things." -Robert Brault

We had a one in four-hundred trillion chance of being born. Countless human births are destroyed by infertility and sickness. Being born is just one thing every single person on this planet has in common. The colour of you hair, you race, your religion, your gender, your views, your political stance does not counteract your human existence.Life is so precious it can be gone in a moment, it can be taken away with a click of the fingers, it can crumble in a matter of seconds, just be grateful for being a life.

Gratitude is a key to living a happy life.Having negative views on the world's stems from being ungrateful. We are trying to dent are Buddha-nature. We deny a chance at happiness.

We always cry for more and this desire causes us so much suffering. Being ungrateful is being in a state of ignorance.We should be grateful that we have the opportunity to learn and grow from the Buddhas teachings. We should be grateful for the three jewels and the fact that we can end are own suffering. Lets step back away from Buddhism a bit. Gratitude has benefits to all who practice it.

Think about it, in this day and age we are all craving for what we don't have, the nicer car, the bigger house better looking spouse but just take a moment to look around you.You have an abundance of things to be grateful for from the little things like the device you are reading this on, the fact you are some place warm and safe. That you can take another breath. That you can think and feel and enjoy this earth we live on.

To the big things, the fact you have eyes you can see through, to see the world in all its glory, to see the thousands of colours. You have ears to hear the sound of music; We have an ability to taste the wonderful sweetness and the wonderful salty taste.

What we lack we make up for what we have. The fact that you can read, that you have a thousand opportunities before you, the fact that you can express yourself in whatever way you wish to. We need to be grateful because there is nothing in this life holding us back from achieving the goals we set. It's all in are mind. We need to be grateful for any experience we have had and will have. Without these experiences, whether being hardships or moments of profound enjoyment.. Without them, you would not be here today.

We as humans have so much to be grateful for.

"By being focused on how things could be we are under appreciating how great things already are" Timber Hawkeye

That quote rings so true. Anxiety is living in fear of the future, and depression is living in the hardships of the past. We need to focus more on how good things are, not how well they could be because. the imaginary future may never come but the present is right here, right now. You can touch it, smell it, feel it. With every breath we take we should be thankful it's not are last.

By being grateful we are not ignoring the fact there is a lot of wrong in this world. We are not ignoring the suffering, in fact we are embracing it as this suffering is bringing us great gratitude.I believe we can all create some joy out of being here and now and realising how great we have got it.

Life is great just think about it no matter where you are there is always somewhere worse you could be. Or there is an experience worse than yours.

Just think about it by being ungrateful we are down grading what we have we are being selfish and ignoring the sacrifices that here made for you to be where you are.If you didn't have your job, you wouldn't have your house, without your house, you wouldn't be able to stay warm and safe so by being grateful for it all we are appreciating what we have We are not being grateful to ignore are suffering; we are being grateful to appreciate the beauty life has to offer.

We all say thank you every day, but it has lost its meaning. It was forced upon us at a young age and we were taught it's the right thing to say. Deep down we need to be grateful saying the word thank you means nothing if you are not thankful.

On our spiritual journey we need to have gratefulness instilled into the bottom of are heart.We need to be grateful for everything not just getting what we want but every single fleeting moment of are existence this is true gratitude. Being here right now and realising how good life is.

Here are three gratitude exercises you can try:

1. Each morning/ afternoon or evening sit down and write a list of thing/ people or experiences you are grateful for and why. For example:

I am grateful for my Job that allows me to live a life I am comfortable with.

I am grateful for my eyes that allow me to see and experience life.

I am grateful for the food I eat the nourishes my body and gives me fuel to keep living.

I am grateful for the books I read as they give me the power to learn and grow as a human being

2. Gratitude meditation

Sit down and relax, find a posture that is right for you where your back is straight. Take in a deep breath or two and experience the breaths. Keep your mind focused on your breath for a few minutes. Once you are settled you can begin.

Bring attention to a person in your life you are grateful for. They could be dead or alive. A relative or a public figure. Someone you are truly grateful for. Analyse what makes you grateful for them. How have they shaped you as a person? What feelings do you experience around them? How much joy do they make you feel? Experience this and sit with it.

Once you analysed a person repeat the process for an experience you have had and follow this by a part of your body you are grateful for, then do this for a possession you own. You can do this for as long as you like either pick a variety of people, experiences, places and so on or you can focus the entire time on one thing. See what works for you.

If you prefer an audio guide, there are plenty of gratitude guided meditations on insight timer and YouTube. One of my favourites is by Cary brief it's called Thankfulness, Gratitude and Appreciative Joy, its on insight timer.

3. Mentally taking note and bowing to everyday things

What I mean by this is as your out and about on your day to day commute, walk or drive note things you have never noticed before or things you never have put much thought into.Look at the trees and notice why your grateful for them, because they allow you to breathe. The beautiful robin that is always perched on the fence post or the clear sky above you. Just take note mentally and give them a silent and not literal bow unless you want to of course.