The mentality behind gratitude is that you place more value on what you have than on what you don’t.  As a college student with a family and a mortgage its easy to get caught up thinking about the things I don’t have, or the things I wish I had, or even the security that would come from a surplus.  Thoughts like that however quickly lead to stress and anxiety.

Serenity comes from recognizing the things I value the most came without a price tag.  My earlier statement could just as easily be seen as a positive when viewed with a grateful mindset.  I am a college student, this implies that I have the opportunity to further my education.  I have a family, this means that there are people who love me and push me to succeed.  I have a mortgage, this tells me that I have a roof over my head and a place to call home.

Do I get caught up in materialism? Or wish that I could by my wife and kids everything they might want?  Sure I do thats human nature, but I’m grounded by the recognition that my needs are met and quite a few of my wants as well.