INSTANT Happiness! How & WHY to Appreciate What You Have

Ever feel like you’re stuck on life’s hamster wheel, running your butt off but getting nowhere?

Most of us do — or certainly have at one time or another. 

It’s enough to make you wonder, “Am I doing this whole life thing wrong?

The answer is usually: No. You’re probably not. 

You’re most likely just trying to respond as well as you can to the modern world and the million things it demands of you — and that’s never easy,

You’ve probably heard we have 60,000 thoughts per day and most of them are negative, so it’s natural to question yourself, to beat yourself up, to get swallowed up by negative emotions and drama that your mind will quite happily present for you.

But the good news is: There’s something we can do about that! 

For many years we thought that our brains were hardwired by the time we reached adulthood and that things were pretty much unchangeable after that.

But we now know that’s NOT true.

In fact, our brains don’t become hardwired at any point in our lives.

Due to something called ‘neuroplasticity’ we can literally change our brains and shape our grey matter through what we think, say and do.

The same applies to the mind. 

‘If Only’ (We Could Appreciate Things More)

Have you ever played the ‘If Only’ game?

I’m sure you have.

If only I had that job, that house, that relationship – THEN I’d be happy!

But it rarely works out like that…

Before you know it, that thing you longed for isn’t enough and you find yourself hunting for happiness all over again.

It’s a potentially endless loop, which leads not to happiness, but to anxiety and stress.

The issue with it all is that the more we want in order to make us happy, the harder and harder it gets.

Sometimes it takes a real hard kick in the pants for us to realize how good we actually had it…

The wisest thing to to today is stop hunting for happiness and start appreciating what you actually have right now. 

I can almost hear you rolling your eyes. “Easy for you to say, Captain Positivity. You don’t know my life.”

And you’re right, I don’t.

But unless you’re literally reading this from a medieval dungeon (in which case, how did you get Wi-Fi?), I’d bet my last coffee bean there’s something in your life worth being thankful for.

Look, I’m not saying you should skip through life pretending everything’s sunshine and rainbows.

Sometimes life sucks harder than a black hole, right?

But even when it feels like the universe is using you as its personal punching bag, you’ll usually be able to notice a silver lining somewhere — if you squint hard enough.

Appreciate What You Have Already

So, how do we actually DO that?

How do we begin to appreciate the things we have already?

Well, try this for a start:

At the end of each day, list THREE THINGS you’re grateful for. 

(And no, “I’m thankful this day is finally over” doesn’t count!)

Maybe you’re grateful that your neighbor’s dog finally stopped its 3 AM yodeling sessions.

…that you shared a nice meal with your partner. 

…that you shared a good laugh with a friend.

…that you are in good health.

…that you have people in your life who care about you.

…that you have a job. 

…that you actually have a bed to sleep in when so many people don’t…

Spot The Positives

For most of us, the list is far bigger than we think at first.

It’s not just at the end of the day that we should try to be grateful for the small things, for what we already have. We should try to notice and celebrate the small things throughout the day.

So, as you navigate your normal routines, challenge yourself to spot the positives hiding in plain sight; even the tiny ones will do.

Trust me, once you start looking, you’ll be surprised at how much good stuff in your life is hiding in plain sight — often it’s things that we’ve taken for granted for so long we no longer see their value.

Another good time to practice is right at the point when you wake up.

There are two good reasons for this:

One: It’s a great and positive way to start the day.

Two: At the point of waking (and at the point of drifting off to sleep), your brain produces certain brain waves (alpha and theta waves) that help to program the subconscious.

Importantly, being grateful isn’t just some feel-good mumbo jumbo.

The mental and physical health benefits are supported by scientific FACT. 

Several Studies show that people who practice gratitude are happier, less stressed, and even sleep better. 

Who knew counting your blessings could be better than counting sheep?!

Now, I’m not promising that appreciation will magically solve all your problems.

Life’s messy, and sometimes it throws curveballs that would make even the best baseball pitcher jealous.

But having an attitude of gratitude can help you navigate the tough times without completely losing your marbles.

After all, what’s the alternative? It’s negativity and complaining. 

Where’s THAT going to get you?

Better Appreciate Your Present Before It’s Past

There’s a quote from the TV series “The Crown” that sums up all of this perfectly.

In it, the Queen says:

“That’s the thing about unhappiness. All it takes is for something worse to come along and you realize it was actually happiness after all.” 

Just consider that properly for a moment. 

Imagine something truly terrible happening that would completely derail your life as it is. 

Don’t shy away from considering it deeply.

Now imagine how small the ‘big issues’ in your life right now would become in comparison.

I’m sure you’d wish you could just have your old life back, before disaster struck. Right?

Thinking in this way might not be much fun, but it’s a good way to gain a bit of perspective on your life and appreciate how fortunate you probably are in so many ways, all things considered.

The Mission

So, here’s your mission, should you choose to accept it:

Find ONE thing to be grateful for today. Just one.

Continue to be thankful for it for the rest of the day.

Then do it again tomorrow, but find TWO things.

And the next day, find THREE.

Form then on, find at least three things every single day that you can truly, deeply appreciate — and remember, it can be the smallest, most simple things.

When you begin, it might feel as forced and awkward as your first school dance, but stick with it. 

Who knows? You might just realize that what you have right now is pretty awesome after all.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to appreciate the heck out of this pizza I just ordered.