Want to be happy? Open your gift

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by

The Sabad Project
in

What’s the first thing that crosses your mind when you wake up?

Do you grab your phone to check the time— Gosh! I’m late!
Does your to-do list flood your brain— There’s so much to get done today!
Are you still replaying something upsetting from yesterday?

In an inspiring talk, Brother David Steindl-Rast, a Benedictine monk, shows us a different way to wake up to a new day. And a different way to live.

The Real Secret to Happiness

There’s one thing that unites us all—no matter where we live, what we do, or what we believe. We all want to be happy.

Think about any goal you’re working toward right now. Ask yourself, Why do I want this? If you keep peeling back the layers, you’ll likely arrive at the same answer: Because I believe it will make me happy.

What is the connection between gratitude and happiness? A usual response is – when we get something we want, we are happy, and so we are grateful. 

Brother David points us that the equation in fact, is the other way round – The more we learn to be grateful, the more joyful we are. It is not joy that makes us grateful. It is gratitude that makes us joyful. 

How does that work? 

Imagine two people: One is a millionaire, dining at the finest restaurant but too stressed to enjoy a bite. The other is a flower seller, relishing a simple home-cooked meal with gratitude. Who is truly wealthy?

This means real joy isn’t tied to success, possessions, or perfect circumstances. It is a state of being. Brother David describes joy as “the happiness that doesn’t depend on what happens.”

The Anatomy of a Gift

To understand this, Brother David invites us to reflect on something we’ve received as a gift. What makes something a true gift?

  1. It’s something we value.
  2. We didn’t earn it—it was freely given.
  3. There’s no guarantee we’ll receive it again.

Now, apply this to this very moment of your life:

🎁 You are alive. That alone is a gift.
🎁 You did nothing to earn this breath—it was given to you.
🎁 And you have no certainty of the next moment.

Every single day, approximately 150,000 people don’t wake up. If you’re reading this, you did. Today is not just another day. It is a gift.

What if we started each morning remembering this simple truth?

A Simple Practice for Gratitude

If gratitude brings joy, why do so many of us feel unhappy?

The answer is simple: We’re moving too fast to notice life’s gifts.

Brother David offers an easy way to bring gratitude into everyday life—a routine we all learned as children when crossing the street:

  • STOP – Pause for a moment.
  • LOOK – Notice what’s good in your life right now.
  • GO – Move forward with gratitude.

Try this: Ask yourself, What do I have today that I didn’t have five years ago?
It could be a new skill, a relationship, an opportunity, or even a challenge that has made you stronger.

Gratitude in Difficult Times

But what about when life is tough? Should we be grateful for pain, injustice, or loss?

Brother David clarifies: We don’t have to be grateful for everything—but we can be grateful in every situation.

We can be grateful for the opportunities hidden in difficulty:

  • The strength we discover within ourselves.
  • The chance to rise above our struggles.
  • The courage to stand for what is right.
  • The persistence to keep going.

How Gratitude Transforms Us

Scientific research confirms what ancient wisdom has always taught: Gratitude rewires the brain.

When we cultivate gratitude, we become:

  • Happier and less anxious.
  • Less aggressive and more compassionate.
  • More accepting of others, leading to better relationships.

Gratitude shifts our energy—from fighting against life to flowing with it.

Try this!

Tomorrow morning, before reaching for your phone, try this:

  • Take a deep breath and say thank you for another day.
  • Think of one thing you’re grateful for.
  • Carry that feeling with you as you go about your day.
  • And at night, before you sleep, write down one moment that made you smile.

You might be surprised—gratitude doesn’t just make life better. It makes life richer.

So, will you open your gift today?

Sources

  • Steindl-Rast, David. Want to Be Happy? Be Grateful. TED, April 2013.
  • Steindl-Rast, David. A Good Day. Gratitude.org

Reflection Question

What is something you didn’t have five years ago but do today?
(It could be a thing, a person, an experience, or an ability.)
How does it make you feel?

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Comments

4 responses to “Want to be happy? Open your gift”

  1. mrudulagovindaraju Avatar
    mrudulagovindaraju

    My grandfather was not a religious person, but he had a waking up routine every morning. As a young child I saw my grandfather do this: when he woke up after a hard day’s work he would open his palms, join them and look at them for a few minutes. After which he would get out of bed and face his day. I have never seen him stand in front of my grandmother’s gods and pray. I asked him what his gesture meant. This is what he said: I look at God in my palms and thank Him for waking me this morning, I thank Him for helping me do honest work with my hands and I thank Him for giving me food I eat with these hands. Your post made me remember my grandfather.

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    1. Gurpreet Sethy Avatar
      Gurpreet Sethy

      Thank you for sharing this! What a beautiful way to offer gratitude. As Brother David puts it, such childhood experiences are like seeds falling into the fertile soil of our young minds. As your story shows, they take root, blossom, and continue to bear fruit long after our elders have journeyed on. Perhaps the best way to honor their lives is to live this wisdom and pass it on.

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  2. Arun Avatar
    Arun

    Very true. We forget what life gives us and to acknowledge it. It reminds me the bhakti movement and Dasa parampara who abundantly spoke about it in their Keertane. One such stanza goes as below – who filled water in the tender coconut? Who filled sweetness in honey? Who filled poison in the tail of a scorpion? And it goes on like this.

    The nature gives us so much and we never amuse at it. It is such spiritual mind which thinks like above and show gratitude towards what life and nature brings for each one of us.

    Liked by 2 people

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    1. Gurpreet Sethy Avatar
      Gurpreet Sethy

      Those are beautiful reminders, Arun— “Who filled sweetness in honey… poison in the tail of the scorpion.”

      It is very helpful to reflect on these questions, especially when we get too caught up in our own ideas and plans. Sometimes we carry such a burden on the head – as if we are the ones running the world 🙂

      I recently came across a prayer with a similar message: The One who created the creatures in the depths of the ocean also provides for them. They do no farming, run no markets, or transact any business. No one buys or sells there, and yet, they are fed.

      In the rush of daily life, it’s easy to forget this wisdom. But reminders like these help us find our center again.

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