People often ask me: "Anysa, how are you always so lucky?" upgrades on flights, meeting my idols, scoring the perfect discounted holiday, free coffees, and the list goes on. Growing up, my mom used to always tell me I was born lucky. I laughed it off but deep down I also believed it.
I now recognised the secret ingredient to my luck: the attitude of gratitude. Being nice gets you places. It gets you in a happy place, and when you find that happy place even the events that might seem so terrible to others, are turned into something good. No, I’m not talking about the Pollyanna effect nor toxic positivity because life will have its ups and downs. I’m talking about the genuine desire to be nice to others and be grateful for this life you are gifted.
When approaching someone to start a conversation, I bring in my best smile to help leave the other person feeling better without any expectations in return. The goal is not to get anything in return from the other person. It is more of a selfish reason because that interaction, when a conversation may have given someone something to smile about, makes me happy. Makes me feel amazing. I do it for love. I love feeling happy!
It’s not like one must be or can always be happy - I'm not sure there is any way anybody could always be 100% happy. Faking to be always happy has its new name “Toxic Positivity.” However the more happy moments, the more happiness in a day. And trying to brighten up someone's day will always make me happy in that present moment.
When joining a conversation, I try to leave the other person just a little happier than how I found them without hidden intentions. When you bring a smile to someone, it’s contagious. It has a trickle down effect. That person is going to be so much nicer in their next interaction, and so will the next. It goes on and on and on.
So when I enter these interactions, I’m just hoping to connect and have a good time. I’m not expecting anything in return and that's where the happiness creeps in unexpectedly. It’s just like Mo Gawdat explains in his book “Solve for Happy” the equation to happiness:
Events - expectations= happiness
Ok, ok. I simplified this a lot. You can read his book to get the full explanation.
All I am trying to share is: the Attitude of Gratitude Mantra. Have gratitude for whatever life brings you because we have been blessed with so much. The Attitude of Gratitude is amazing. It brings joy and happiness, and so much more than you would ever expect. Try it and let me know how it feels!
I loved the Attitude of Gratitude that I created a whole collections, check it out!