I was blessed with growing up in a culture where the attitude of gratitude was the norm (communism, martial law, etc). Nothing was granted; everything was a reason to be grateful for. We were happy.
My life changed a lot; from a material point of view, I'm much better off than I was as a child, yet one thing has never changed - my attitude of gratitude towards everything I have/experienced. This keeps me happy.
And I didn't skip your article, because a reminder of all the little things I can be grateful for keeps me humble and happy.