The Greek philosopher Epicurus shared, in a very interesting way, his view of being grateful when he stated that: "Happy people remember the past with gratitude, rejoice in the present and face the future without fear."

However, we know that to reach this understanding there is a process that can be quite cumbersome.

After all, how can we be grateful, even with so many difficult, sad and even frustrating moments in our lives?

Many experts in cognitive and behavioral neurology explain that our brain is flooded with information and so that it doesn't take too long to process everything, some things are anticipated.

Simply put, it would be like this: I'm sad because I'm overweight... Period.

The brain processes this information and does its part, often anesthetically.

However, when you exercise gratitude, your brain is forced to analyze situations with more complexity.

In other words, there are bad things happening, but there is a lot of good things happening too.

This type of exercise is not about ignoring reality and all the pain it often causes us.

But yes, challenge our brain to understand and see what can be "out of the good of all this".

If the privileges and lightness that gratitude can provide is still unclear, I invite you to discover these books that are able to explain this very powerful feeling very well.

Gratitude - Oliver Sacks

Oliver Sacks has written a series of essays very movingly exploring his personal experience in which he also shares his struggle in dealing with the lurking death.

Some texts from this book were published in "The New York Times" shortly before his death.

Sacks addresses important points such as having an existence well lived and with all the uniqueness that each human being carries, having with him, a lot of gratitude to begin with, for the gift of life.

A day without complaining: Discover why gratitude can change your life - Davi Lago and Marcelo Galuppo

This book invites you to the clear challenge of living the next 24 hours, without complaining.

With very practical and to-the-point guidance, you will develop an awareness of how gratitude can be exercised and how it can very positively affect the way you deal with your difficulties.

The things you only see when you slow down – Haemin Sunim

Sunim begins by teaching that gratitude is a cultivation of calmer thoughts and self-forgiveness.

To understand our relationships, our professional and spiritual life, from a new perspective, it is necessary to give our full attention, to transform the way we do and deal with the most diverse situations.

How you see and perceive the world is a reflection of what is in our minds.

If your mind is compassionate and happy or rested, so is the world.

The opposite also happens, if your mind is infested with negative thoughts, where your world will be seen in a sad and bleak way.

Essentialism – Greg McKeown

In Greg McKeown's view, the balance between work and personal life lies in learning to focus on goals, getting out of situations where your time is wasted, simplifying and reducing the unessentials.

Unfocused gratitude is just a tentative feeling.

Thank and be happy- Robert A. Emmons

How the science of gratitude can change your life for the better.

Emmons shows based on a very well-designed study of how gratitude can exert a huge influence on our level of happiness and can be maintained at an amazing constancy.

Surrender to gratitude and enjoy all its benefits!