Snails see beauty in every inch

The other day I was sitting on a bus with a very good friend talking about life. It turns out I like doing that. It was a beautiful day and we were watching the pink, orange and purple colors that accompany any respecteable sunset. We were talking about the type of people that don't let their circumstances define them, but choose to be themselves and define their circumstances.

I said that it was almost impossible to be unhappy on such an incredibly beautiful day then she mentioned something really cool in relation to being happy. I think everybody has had the experience of being really sick and just wanting to not hurt anymore. I remember many times when I would go to sleep at night as sick as a dog and wake up the next morning feeling 100% better. She said that when that moment arrives you just breath in the air, ecstatic to be sitting there without any pain. It is so simple but it's one of those blessings that we take for granted.

I think it is like having a bag of blessings into which things are poured and things are lost. Sometimes we are not healthy and sometimes we are poor. Other times we feel like their is nothing more we could ask for. However, everybody has blessings in their lives; it is about being willing to recognize the ones you take for granted. How many times during periods of great health do we just wake up and smile because we don't hurt? How many times do we stop to take in a beautiful day rather than focus on the negative stuff?

Counting our blessings instead of our trials brings happiness instead of gloom. In short, I think being happy really does come down to seeing your glass as half full rather than half empty (and my friend supports that conclusion).