Thankfulness begets Happiness

My friend Julie posted this awesome clip from the Conan O'Brian show, I'll post it down below, but the gist of it is that the guy thinks we don't appreciate enough of the world around us, and it's because we think it should be given to us.  And if we were all a little more in awe or thankful for what we have, we would be a much happier society.  Something about that thought really struck a cord.

I've been going through a sudo-depression phase for a little bit after I graduated (though I recently figured a lot out, see last post), and I think the root of it was that attitude I stated up above. Let me tell you, as soon as I realized how blessed I was, my mood changed almost instantly.  I definitely didn't feel sad anymore, I was like hell ya life is awesome!

I realized I was so thankful for all my friends, how they support me, how they make me laugh, how they make feel welcome, how they provide me with so much purpose, how when I leave for work I can't wait to get back to see them.  I'm am beyond blessed, it's almost unreal.

I realized I was so thankful for having a family that never struggled financially, how much more stress that would have caused my already hard to manage family, how walking out of college debt-free sets you up for the rest of your life, how I can count on them to help when it counts,  how their knowledge of the world has made me wiser, more knowledgeable, and allows me to help others.  I am truly blessed to have been influenced and formed into a hard worker from my family.  For them I am blessed.

I realized I was so thankful for all the growth that God has put me through, how I've changed to think more positively, how he's allowed me to achieve my dreams, how I can't get enough of sharing his wisdom with people.  How he's formed me to be deeply empathetic, to care, to want whats best for others, how that brings so much joy to my life, watching others succeed.  How he made me analytical, a skill for detail, and how that allows me to be a better friend and follower.  I am thankful for being able smile and make others smile.

I am most thankful for love, how God loves me and how he injected me with a lot of it, I am most thankful that God continually provides me with opportunities to love and be loved, its an action at the core of my functioning being.  The root of my joy, the path I want to follow.  I am so thankful for so much more, I'm so so thankful, for I've been truly blessed.