Autumn is my favorite time of year. I love the weather. I love the air. I love the clothes we get to wear. I love the food. Most of all I love what Autumn does to my head and heart. The hard edge of Autumn, as the leaves die and fall, reminds me of my own mortality, but in a good way. It’s the shadow of death that underscores just how precious and beautiful it is to be alive.

And it is indeed very precious and beautiful and good to be alive.

So why then are we all so anxious and so angry?

Where to start? Because life isn’t perfect. Because life is short. Because life is hard. Because life is a constant struggle. Because life can be extremely painful. But none of that changes the fact that good is everywhere. More good than ever. More good right now than in all of human history.

So why doesn’t it help?

It does help. The good stuff helps a great deal, but only—and here’s the trick—only if you notice it.

It turns out the happiest people are not the folks who have the most good but the folks who spend the most time noticing the good they have.

Happiness is a quantum of gratitude. The counting of blessings. The giving of thanks.

Just to be perfectly clear, this is not a sermon with me telling you that you should be grateful. There’s no “should” when it comes to gratitude. Or if there is you didn’t hear it from me. Be however you want to be.

I’m just here to give gratitude an excellent Yelp review because of how well it works for me.
I recommend gratitude because whenever I’m grateful I’m happier. That’s it. That’s the whole message.

Grateful people are happier people. The more blessings you count, the better you feel.

So, want to feel better? Start counting. Need to feel a whole lot better? Keep counting.

It’s not a “should” or a philosophical thing or a religious thing or anything abstract. It’s a practical thing. Grateful people are happier people. The more blessings you count, the better you feel. And if you can’t see anything in your life to count, ask someone to help. The good is there. I promise you it is.

Maybe the best news of all for a world which often feels completely out of our control … gratitude is something you have complete control over. It’s all you. It’s in your hands.

Grateful people are happier people. The more blessings you count, the better you feel. Find them, count them, and then use them to build yourself a beautiful life.