Gratitude as a Habit

I had a conversation yesterday with a wise person about the importance of gratitude. Gratitude despite circumstances. There are several schools of thought currently which subscribe to the importance of establishing gratitude as a habit. The current newsletter of Hazelden has gratitude as its focus topic, and it is well accepted that someone recovering from addictions is benefited by having an "attitude of gratitude". When things are going along smoothly, gratitude seems somewhat easy to maintain. But, when faced with something upsetting, gratitude can be a more difficult emotion to attain. Perhaps this is an opportunity for discipline. To maintain an attitude of gratitude despite what outside circumstances appear to be. Yes, good practice when dealing with a terminal illness.