Using the Negatives

That said, if you want to know what will kill thankfulness quicker than anything it is a feeling of entitlement – the feeling of entitlement starts with breaking the 10th Commandment – wanting what is not ours – and ends with dissatisfaction and unhappiness.

Politicians have been masters of demagoguery by playing this “card” to earn votes – and if that was the only impact it would be bad enough, but, in the process that have made a lot of people unhappy.

America if far from perfect. BUT:

• Those who receive welfare should be thankful they live here, and not most other places in the world where they would receive NO help. Because of the drumbeat of “entitlement,” however, they are not only not thankful, they resent they do not receive more.
• The elderly feel neglected because they cannot afford all the luxuries of life PLUS all the medical care and medicine they could possibly use – even though most do nothing to aid or improve their health – they are entitled!
• The executive making more than a million dollars a year has to cut corners and steal from others because he feels entitled to more.

If you want to kill your happiness just look for what/where you are not receiving your fair share and entitlement and you will be unhappy.

As the Bible says:

You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth . . . ^{Deuteronomy 8:17-18}

If we start with the truth that NO ONE is entitled to ANYTHING – EVERYTHING we have we should be thankful for, then we will seek an equilibrium of happiness – current circumstances may throw us off base for a while, but we will be bounce back to happiness in short order.