MM Ep 44: The 3rd Key to Happiness - Gratitude

We share the third key to happiness: gratitude, and why it works best when we stop waiting for big milestones. We challenge ourselves to notice small daily moments and let that awareness change our attitude from the inside out. 
• the monthly perfect attendance charm system and the 12 keys to happiness 
• why gratitude is about appreciating what we already have 
• examples of small daily gratitudes that add up 
• what an attitude of gratitude looks like in real time 
• how inner happiness shows outwardly 
• the five wrong things test versus naming five grateful things 
I encourage you, I challenge you to start having an attitude of gratitude. 

https://aarondegler.com/

Transcript

Gratitude As A Key

Finding Small Daily Gratitudes

Making Gratitude Your Default

Five Wrong Things Versus Five Thanks

Daily Challenge And Closing

SPEAKER_00 0:02

Welcome back to a mindful moment. Thank you for taking a moment to join me. The beginning of the year, I started a reward system for our perfect attendance here at M2B for the keys to happiness. So each month that a participant member gets perfect attendance, they get a little charm that is representative of a key to happiness. So over the year, I'll be giving away a different charm every month. So at the end of the year, they'll have the 12 keys to happiness. So I'm going to be sharing the third key to happiness that we've given out so far this year. And the third key to happiness is gratitude. And for that charm, it's a it's gratitude hands together as a key to happiness. And we might say, well, how is gratitude a key to happiness? And really, I think sometimes we just become grateful when we're waiting on the big things, when the the things that, of course, we should be grateful for or we should be excited about. But really, gratitude is not about getting the stuff that we don't have yet. It's really being more appreciative of those things we already do have. It's finding the gratitude in the small daily things. Maybe it's just a little less traffic today. Maybe the sun shines a little brighter. Maybe work went without any problems today. Maybe it was just a sweet note from your spouse. Maybe it was just a moment with your kids. Maybe it was just a really good supper. Maybe it was just a really amazing breakfast. Maybe it was a great workout. Maybe it's just a great conversation. And it's being more grateful for those things that you already have on a daily basis. And we've heard, maybe if if you haven't heard, attitude of gratitude. So what does an attitude of gratitude mean? It simply means that it becomes part of your attitude, it becomes part of who you are. When something happens, it's oh, thank you for this. Oh, this is so great. To be thankful for just the little things. It doesn't have to be that big job promotion that you've been waiting for. It doesn't have to be some big, unexpected, unexpected event. It is those things that happen on a daily basis. Thank you for the person holding my hand. Thank you for that text that a friend gave me. Thank you for just my ability to be present. And when we start doing that, we start to realize that we're much happier because an attitude of gratitude is constantly looking for those opportunities, those moments to be grateful, to say, wow, thank you for this. This is so gratifying. This just really makes me happy. And it's really hard when we have an attitude of gratitude, when we have that gratitude, it's really hard not to put a smile on our face, not to be happy. And of course, happiness is not just a physical thing. Happiness comes from within. And when we are happy from within, it shows on the outside. And really that's what the third key to happiness is, is it's still working on the inside. It's that gratitude that we think about, that we take a moment for whatever just happened or for something in our day. If I asked you to say, hey, tell me five things that went wrong today, you could probably name them off. If I said, name five things that you're grateful for today, one and two might be pretty easy. It might be get kind of challenging for three, four, and five. When we start to have an attitude of gratitude every day, every moment, we're looking for those places, those times to be grateful. So I encourage you, I challenge you to start having an attitude of gratitude. Start being grateful for not the things that you haven't gotten yet, but be grateful for those things that have already happened, that are already on a daily basis. Be appreciative for what you have. Thank you for this house. Thank you for this vehicle to drive to work. Thank you for this time to be able to sit and hold my child. Be grateful for those things that you have already. And you'll notice that your attitude will start to change and you'll start becoming happier on the inside, and that that will start resonating and shining on the outside. Thank you so much for joining me on Mindful Moments this week. I look forward to seeing you right here next time.