The other day I was training in the gym and a gentleman walked by and asked me, “how’s it going?” Without a thought I answered, “I’m fabulous, how are you?” I really hadn’t intended to bring about a conversation but my answer caused the man the stop. Looking perplexed, he kind of made fun of me by saying, “fabulous eh?” I thought about it for a second and replied, “yea, everything rocks, thank for asking.” When the man walked away I realized that he must have thought, as I did, that not very many people can honestly say that everything is fabulous. It’s probably a rarity to hear someone truthfully say their day is simply amazing, it’s wonderful and that life is great. I’m no lifestyle specialist but over the years I have taken the time to research happiness, being content and having a rewarding life. From the poorest of the poor who experience the greatest blessings life can give, to the richest people on the planet who truly understand where their rewards come from, one thing has always stood out as I look through information regarding a life of happiness. That common factor is gratitude.

Bottom line; most people suck at being grateful. If you don’t believe me, check out the recent status updates on your friends’ Facebook pages. I will do this now just to prove my point.

- sometimes I look at the people around me and think how lucky they are. I wish I had extra money to go do the things they do.
- my brother passed away 17 years ago today I hate this day.
- I spent all that money on nursing school only to find out I hate dealing with sick people.
- my neighbors just bought their 16 year-old daughter a brand new BMW. That just isn’t responsible.

Of course we can all go on-and-on, but you get the picture. The message I’d love you to take away from this article is to learn to cultivate, use and share gratitude. Gratitude is something that requires we stop thinking about ourselves and begin appreciating something or someone else. From this we learn patience, we learn selflessness, we learn humility and we learn that our thoughts, our actions and our intentions really do matter. Mean spirited intentions, dishonest dealings and jealousy produce dissatisfaction, misery and complacency. Over time these things build and grow, compounding our problems, adding to our unhappiness and cementing our negativity. » Read more: 3 Keys To A Fit And Happy Life