When we focus on gratitude in our lives it's NOT about ignoring problems or only seeing rainbows and gumdrop smiles. It's about seeing the WHOLE picture. Our brains are predisposed to be vigilant to identify what we can lose, or what we have lost. It's normal and natural to think negatively in many circumstances. BUT, since the mind is trying to keep us safe, it has a hard time being appreciative. So we have to be smarter than our monkey minds. GRATITUDE is about accepting the whole reality of life. It's healthy, balanced, and NOT bullshit. That's reserved for the part of our mind that only wants to see loss and catastrophe. Gratitude can make space for recognizing all the good stuff while also seeing that without some of the crap, we can't appreciate the good in life. Subscribe to the True Calling Project podcast on iTunes and find it here:www.johnharrisoncounseling.com/category/truecallingproject/