Some people go through life never satisfied regardless of their circumstances, while others are truly thrilled just to be alive one more glorious day. To shift from seeing the cup as "half-empty" to "half-full" (or even overflowing) is all about the attitude of gratitude.

We can thank Madison Avenue for drumming into our heads about 7,000 times a day the idea that we and/or our circumstances are never enough. Think about it --every advertisement is based upon the fundamental premise that we are somehow "incomplete" and that the product or service being promoted will somehow fix that. Then some of us of course received the message that we were never enough, quite clearly all throughout our childhood.

"Never enough", whether experienced internally (as in I'm not good enough) or externally (I don't have enough) is a primary root cause of life dissatisfaction. It becomes a "hole" that gets bigger the more we try to fill it —whether we take all kinds of personal improvement courses to make us "more", or just work harder and smarter to earn more.

Have you ever set a goal, (extraordinary sales volume for example), reached it, then became depressed afterward once the initial period of elation wore off? This is not uncommon in today's Western society and is a cause for much of the burn-out, broken marriages, and even some suicides. How can you possibly enjoy life to its fullest when no matter what you do it's never enough? There is however, a remarkably easy and powerful solution to this dilemma that works every time —one you can start applying for immediate relief. It's called "gratitude".

Imagine starting each day by quietly reflecting about all the things you are (or can be) grateful for. Your children (that's where I start...), your spouse, the home you live in, your health and safety, the fact that you never go hungry or uncared for when sick, and so on. This simple exercise will change the way you see and experience the rest of the day —guaranteed!

When you first try it, your current "not enough-ness" may interfere with any strong feelings of gratitude you can muster. That's okay. Continued intention and practice will increase your gratitude muscle to the point that an "attitude of gratitude" is your standard way of going through life.

This really isn't hard. For the next week make a commitment to spend 5 - 10 minutes in the quiet of the morning (before you do anything else) just to reflect on and feel gratitude (the more you feel the emotion of gratitude, the better the results). You will be amazed at the "shift" experienced during the rest of the day, and eventually the rest of your life.

Maintaining a lifelong "attitude of gratitude" will change that half-empty cup to one that is at least half-full and eventually, overflowing.