Being Thankful

Being thankful for the good in your life instead of dwelling on what isn't so good is the secret to being happy.  My life isn't perfect and it isn't what I might have designed for myself if I'd had a choice from the get go but I'm content.  The question is why I can be happy and content when my life hasn't turned out perfect.  The answer is that I've settled.

There's nothing wrong with settling for the status quo instead of railing against it to the point where you're miserably unhappy.  Take a look around you and see that no-one, no matter how rich or famous, is living a perfect life because perfection is a relative term.  For some, jetting around the world and wildly partying every night might seem like a good idea but I bet even it becomes boring and senseless after a while.  It would feel that way to me on the first day.

What makes you a happy and contented person changes with age.  I don't think peace was my priority when I was young but it is now.  I never made a physical list of my priorities for a happy life but I must have kept that list in the back of my mind and gradually fulfilled it.  The list will be different for every age and every person but that doesn't mean it can't be fulfilled by all.

You also have to be reasonable about what you absolutely need to be happy.  I'd like a million bucks but that's not going to happen so I've "settled" for having a nice little apartment, food in the fridge, a close and loving family, and some very good friends.  Those things were probably the priorities that sat in my subconscious all of my life but I didn't realize it until I aged and matured!

I like watching the T.V. shows where people are looking to buy a new home and the comments can sometimes be comical.  It's hard to believe that some people just can't live without double sinks in their bathroom and granite counter tops in their kitchen.  I've seen photos of raggedy children sitting outside a straw hut but with giant smiles of happiness on their faces. Happiness comes to those who appreciate what they have, I guess.

If you end up with good people who love you, whether you live in a hovel or a mansion, then you are blessed.  It's as simple as that.