Contentmentandgratitudearetheroo

For example, Praeger says, 'One day you find out you have a tumor, and you go to the doctor worried about it.' A week later, when you hear the diagnosis of a benign tumor, it will feel like the happiest day of your life.

In fact, this day is no different from the day you suspected you had a tumor. Your physical health has not changed. Now you are as happy as a moon. Why is that? Because today you don't expect to be healthy.

So he says we can and should "desire" health, but we should not "expect" it! Just as we shouldn't expect many things in life: success in a job interview, success in an investment strategy, or even longevity for our loved ones. He says that when we don't know our desires from our expectations, we feel disappointed. Unfulfilled expectations not only cause us pain, they also destroy our sense of gratitude, which is necessary for happiness.