Want to know how to find happiness? Start with gratitude

The key to how to find happiness is just to be grateful. If you can't think of something to be thankful for, you're just not looking. Gratitude is one of the easiest ways to get happy.

Get a really nice journal that feels good in your hands and a pen that just glides over the page. Make writing in your journal a positive experience that you look forward to each day. I'm not sure why, but my pink glitter notebook is so much more fun to write in than just a regular spiral notebook.

It can be fun to go back and re-read your gratitude journal every so often. It helps you see just how many things in your life there are to be thankful for.

It’s also a great idea to keep a mental gratitude journal as you go about your day. While you’re driving to work notice how grateful you are for:

-The beautiful trees
-The roads that are available to make your journey fast and easy
-The air conditioning in your car (or heat depending on the season)
-Having a safe car to take you where you want to go
-Your GPS system
-The great song you’re listening to
-And on and on…..

How to find happiness when dealing with difficult people:

Make mental gratitude notes about all the people you encounter throughout your day. Yes, I know some of them drive you crazy, but focus on the qualities that you do like about them.

In fact, when you have to deal with difficult people in your life, one of the best ways to diffuse any negativity is to keep this mental gratitude list about that particular person.

I have an elderly neighbor who used to drive me crazy. Every time she saw me she’d just spew every negative thing going on in her life, the world, in the neighborhood, or on TV. It’s like she had radar for anything that was going wrong.

I would hide in my house if she rang the bell or I’d drive around the block if I saw her outside when I pulled into the driveway.

When I realized just how silly this was, I made a list of all the things I appreciated about this woman – her beautiful garden, her genuine concern for all her neighbors, and her vitality and energy.

Things changed almost instantly. Now she talks about the flowers in her garden instead of the weeds. She’s friendly and likes to tell me the good things going on in the neighborhood.

I use this appreciation list technique often when I encounter difficult people or situations. IT WORKS!

Another example of how to find happiness: Look for things to appreciate.

Do you need help thinking of something? What about?

• the air you’re breathing
• puppies and kittens
• all the millions of cells in your body that are working perfectly
• a butterfly
• the sound of birds singing in the morning
• a lazy rainy Sunday morning
• a delicious meal with your family
• your friends
• your family
• brilliant books
• beautiful art to enjoy
• the diversity in the world
• the uniqueness of all the places on the planet
• your pets
• our troops
• love
• a good movie
• a cool breeze
• sunshine
• mountains
• rivers
• oceans
• kindness
• laughter
• your strength
• running water
• feathers
• toads and frogs
• Brad Pitt
• ice cream cones
• dancing
• the internet
• your parents
• your children
• your intelligence
• your desire to grow
• freedom
• a great nap
• snowmen
• weeping willows
• your beautiful garden
• choice
• aha moments
• pillow fights
• your home
• walking the dog
• NY style gooey pizza
• chocolate
• electricity
• the smell of newborns
• a kiss
• fresh lemonade
• cocoa puffs
• being alive
• autumn leaves
• holidays
• NOW – This very minute

I Appreciate You