Being Thankful - Mindful Awareness - Gratitude

  
When you hear yourself saying "I have to...", 

change your attitude and say "I get to...".
~Kim Franklin-Magana

There are so many things we take for granted these days that we sometimes forget how fortunate we are to have the opportunity to do what we now perceive as work.  

A job is most commonly thought of as work, of course, but what does that job then allow us to do, buy, experience, or improve?  When someone first lands a job, they are so happy because they see it as a way to benefit and improve the quality of their life.  Then something happens...they become accustomed to their new way of living and forget the life they once had before the job was in their life that improved it in the first place.

That is why mindfulness is so important to your everyday happiness.  Gratitude, for the common experiences in your life, is an important factor to your overall happiness in general.

When was the last time you thought, I get to cook dinner, do the laundry, wash the dishes, and clean my house?  

Without a washer and dryer you might have to go to a laundry mat and spend hours of the day, not to mention the money, doing your laundry on an ongoing basis in order to have clean clothes.  You would also not have the luxury of your laundry in process while you are somewhere else in the house, cooking dinner, spending time with family, enjoying quiet restful time, or working on various other projects around the home.

Without a dishwasher, you would have to wash each item by hand and be stuck in the kitchen long after the meal was over cleaning and scrubbing, only to have to repeat this task, day in and day out.

Without a house...well you get the picture.  

Mindful awareness is the key to everyday happiness in your life.  Change the settings in your brain, the way you so easily change the settings on your computer or T.V. remote to, 
"I feel fortunate and grateful for the blessings and opportunities that my life has given me."  

Then, the only thing left to do is ENJOY THE FRUITS (or in this case, dessert's) of your labor!