Why should I feel gratitude when there is so much that is wrong in my life now?

Yes, this is a honest question that crops up whenever we are asked to feel grateful isn't it? There are so many issues that I have to battle with, but I'm expected to live in a state of gratitude. I see lack in some areas of my life where I want to see plenty. How will feeling grateful help me to fill that lack or forget about it?

But I notice that when I fake gratitude during these extreme conditions, there is a loosening of the muscles around the eyes, and a slight thaw in the frost that has settled into my mind and heart.

There is a slight shift towards that state of plenty or adequacy that I'm seeking. And as I repeatedly fake it, the permafrost melts and the tightness of muscles start easing and even before there is a real shift in the actual physical state of lack, I'm already in the state of plenty and very soon the physical state of plenty is also effortlessly achieved.

I've discovered that when I fake something consistently, the state that I'm faking becomes reality sooner or later. So faking gratitude is a great way to get to the point where you can feel the real gratitude because what you were seeking has manifested itself into your life.

When I think, I don't have any friends, as I introspect more, I realise I do have a few of them, it is just that I want something more and what I want has not manifested itself in my life. But as I become aware of the existing friends and feel grateful for their presence in my life, the one I'm yearning for also shows up one day.
Same goes for money, health, success in career or studies, etc. There is always something to celebrate and feel grateful for in your life. Dig deep. Find it. Celebrate it. Feel grateful for it.

What you seek will show up.