So I’m sitting here scrolling through Facebook (which I actually hate doing, and I have no idea why I get sucked into it – WHY?!) and I CONSTANTLY see people complaining. Whether it be passive aggressive complaining with the vague posts about how “someone” is feeling like they don’t matter because they aren’t getting enough attention (I wonder who that could be…) or just straight up “i hate my life” complaining. You would think this would give me one more reason to stay out of this life-suck of an app, but no. WHY does everyone feel the need to post these sentiments on their Facebook for the whole world to see?? That could actually be another post entirely, but what I always seem to ask myself is why are all these people so dang unhappy? Why do they have so much to complain about? And personally, I think it all goes back to one simple truth – You will NEVER find happiness until you learn to be grateful.

Even in my worst of times, and there seems to have been a snowball effect of shit lately, I have always tried to remain grounded by thinking about what it is that I have to be grateful for. Recently, I’ve had some stuff to complain about – between multiple cancer scares, a cancer diagnosis in the family, a house fire that left us displaced and without any of our belongings, there’s been some stuff to be down in the dumps about. BUT what does a pity party actually do for anyone except make it feel like your whole world is in fact crashing in around you. I knew that the only way to make it through was to try to be positive. I told myself things like, WOW I sure am glad that the house caught fire instead of my relative dying of cancer. Or I sure am glad it only took part of our house and not the whole thing. I am grateful we have a beautiful home to stay in while we wait for ours to be repaired. I am grateful that my husband and I are healthy and both have good jobs that allow us to take the time off we need to recoup. I am grateful for my supportive family who has been there to hold each other up through all of these trying times. Heck, I’m even grateful for the health of my animals – who are my babies – and grateful that they are always there to cheer me up and make me remember that the simple things in life, while often forgotten and taken for granted, are really the best things in life. This isn’t to say that I’m perfect, and anyone who knows me knows I’m not the kind of person to toot my own horn, but I will say that I have an inability to feel bad for people who are constantly feeling bad for themselves. Life is not about complaining about all the things you don’t have or all of the things you can’t do or how hard your day was because of this or that. Life is about grabbing every opportunity you can to make yourself happy, because let’s be real, only you can do that. Even if you get yourself that big house, that nice car, that attention that you crave, the long vacations and the picture perfect life, all of that means nothing if you cannot be grateful for that which you already have. Now, this post may rub some people the wrong way, and I know that I can’t possibly know everyone’s life or everyone’s circumstances, but I would almost guarantee that each of us could stand to be more grateful – myself included! Take a look at your life – what are those things that maybe you’ve taken for granted that others may not have the privilege of attaining? Life will never be as good as you want it to be if you are constantly wanting more, BUT if you are happy with what you have and strive and work hard for what you want, how much sweeter is that victory? So stop looking to the grass in someone else’s yard. Quit focusing on the stuff in your life that may not be going your way – life happens! Look at your life and sincerely ask yourself, what do I have to be grateful for?