Take a look at your social feeds any hour of the day and chances are you’ll find someone complaining, worrying, or ranting about something. Judging from the content that many of us publish, you’d think that the world is falling apart. The economy sucks. This person can’t find a job. That person hates their current job. You feel stuck. Bills hang over your head. You’re bored.

We seem to have an incessant need to project our feelings of hopelessness, worry, and despair into the digital world for all to see. Perhaps we are looking for others to empathize with us, or maybe the mere act of venting these feelings somehow helps us to heal. Whatever the reason, there is a much easier way to eliminate this type of thinking from your mind: replacing it with gratitude.

Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude. Denis Waitley

It’s important to remember that having these negative feelings or thoughts is not necessarily a bad thing. Every one of us experiences the loneliness, despair, and fear that comes with being human. Reminding yourself of this shared collective experience empowers you to look at the world a different way and expand your emotional intelligence. Regardless of how bad your current situation may be, there are always others facing a much more difficult problem or circumstance. Having the ability to step outside your own problems and empathize with others is the first step in practicing gratitude and love.

That human beings right through the world go through the same agonies that one goes through. The loneliness, the despair, the depressions, the extraordinary uncertainty, and insecurity; whether they live ten thousand miles away or two thousand miles, or here. They’re all psychologically bound together. If one realizes that profoundly in your guts, in your blood, in your heart, in your mind; then you’re responsible. - Jiddu Krishnamurti

Health, family, and friends are often the most overlooked blessings in our lives. We accept these things as a given rather than as gifts that we should be thankful for. So many of us are focused on the negative aspects of our lives, convinced that if the problems we have were fixed we would somehow achieve the happiness for which we are longing. The reality is every single one of us will always have problems. We can’t change the fact that life is going to throw us curveballs on a daily basis. What we can change is the way we react, think, and how we feel about these problems.

Instead of focusing on the negative nature of the circumstances in your life, try replacing these thoughts with positive things you are thankful for. The most difficult part of this process is catching your mind in the act of thinking negatively. When you find yourself feeling hopeless about a certain situation, replacing that negative thinking with something positive can have a profound effect.

These positive replacements of gratitude can stem from any number of the many gifts we each have in our lives. Some of the basic things we should all be thankful for I have already mentioned: health, family, and friends. Beyond these three major gifts in life that we all take for granted, there are many smaller things to be thankful for on a daily basis. Maybe someone held the door for you on your way into work this morning. Or perhaps you recently found a new hobby that you’re passionate about. Center your focus on these small yet significant gifts in everyday life and you’ll find that your thinking will begin to transform and have a big impact on your happiness.

Another great way to avoid the trap of negative thinking is to focus your thoughts on the needs of others. How can you lend a helping hand to someone in need? What positive impact can you have on someone else’s life to improve their current situation? A big part of truly understanding gratitude is going beyond being thankful for the many gifts you have in your life and finding a way to share those gifts with someone in need.

There are always silver linings in our day that can inspire feelings of gratitude. The key is recognizing them and shifting your focus to the positive aspects in your life rather than the negatives. Over time this type of thinking becomes habitual and you’ll find that your positive attitude not only improves your own happiness, but also enhances the happiness of others.

Happiness is itself a kind of gratitude. -Joseph Wood Krutch