Blessings in Absence

Okay, clearly I am not used to this new blogger style yet. I hit the wrong icon like three times trying to start this post. 

I wanted to talk today about gratitude. It's something I try to think about a lot because I really do believe that one of the keys to a happy life is remembering the blessings and benefits I do have. I know that when I focus on the stuff I don't have or the stuff that is broken or the stuff that is going wrong, I'm just miserable. It's when I look at all the beautiful things going on in my life that I start to really get my mind to function properly. 

I think one of the better hacks to this is remembering the benefits you have when something is NOT in your life. This isn't to say said thing is a BAD thing, but all things come with their downsides. When you don't have that thing in your life, you also don't have the downsides of it.

Just as an example. I have never owned an expensive car. I've always owned used cars, most of the time, VERY used cars. So yeah, they break down. They have no social credibility (and we all know that's a Thing). They often make weird noises and have strange quirks that you have to get used to. 

Now, I could lament the fact that I'vE nEvEr OwNeD a NeW cAr!!!......or I can be thankful that I never had massive insurance costs. I've never had massive tag costs or had to worry that someone would steal my vehicle. Those struggles have never been my struggles and this is a good thing. 

Also, in almost every case, my cars have come to me via rather interesting circumstances. It was never a boring event. My cars usually have interesting personalities (my brain probably assigns them, but still) and my time with them is usually long. My cars, like my house, are my shelters. Most of the time, I love them. 

Of course, that's an easy example. There are other things that are lacking in my life that are sometimes harder to hack into a blessing moment. I still manage to do it, unless my mental health is REALLY shot at the time, but sometimes it takes effort. 

But that's another thing about happiness, isn't it? It isn't just this passive thing that wanders over to you and fills you with a glow. Happiness is a state of mind and we have to do the work to get there.