Have we forgotten how to be grateful? Maybe you are asking, “What do I have to be grateful for?” Be grateful for the small things in life. If you ate breakfast this morning you are better off than the 800 million people worldwide who will go hungry today.

Most of us underestimate the power of gratitude. As we constantly strive to add more and more to our lives it is easy to forget about being grateful for things and talents we already possess. Making gratitude a habit will enrich your whole outlook on life, even in the most turbulent circumstances.

What we focus on grows. The more we focus on what we appreciate, the more we will have to appreciate!

Gratitude is a learned skill that must be practiced daily to develop its full potential. Practicing gratitude does not require elaborate rituals or a huge amount of spiritual awareness; simply taking a few moments to note every time something goes right is enough.

At first this may take a conscious effort, but as the habit takes root, seeing things to be thankful for becomes as natural as breathing.

Although grateful people tend to be happier people, being grateful is not the same as being happy. When life is turning out all wrong, being grateful allows you to focus on that ray of sunshine coming through. It allows you to take an honest look at a situation and say, “even in this there is reason to hope.”

Do not confuse being grateful with settling for less. Gratitude should never interfere with your efforts to improve and grow. Expressing gratitude simply gives you a better outlook on life, making it easier to attract the true happiness you deserve. By focusing attention on what is going right, more things work out for the best.

Be grateful even for the trials in life. Your trials are what made you the person you are today. It is those very same trials that made you strong enough to cope with the difficulties in life.

A big problem in today’s world is that we have been conditioned to think we have to live a certain way, look a certain way and have certain things just to maintain a status quo. If we don’t then we should be dissatisfied. While dissatisfaction can be a great motivator, without action or personal effort it only leads to frustration, anger and bitterness.

Grateful people have a way of looking at the misfortunes and failures in their lives and turning them into opportunities. These opportunities may not be readily apparent at first, but when the pain and frustration have passed, there they are. Every cloud has a silver lining if only we take the time to look.

You don’t have to wait for good things to occur to express gratitude. Gratitude does not mean jumping for joy about everything in your life, but rather, that you see and take note of whatever is put before you. It means taking advantage of every opportunity that comes your way, whether presented as fortune or misfortune.

Enhance your life. Take a few moments right now and actively notice things you can be grateful for.