Life Has its Benefits (Ecclesiastes 9:1-12)

There is the temptation to read Ecclesiastes and think that maybe there is not much of a reason to live.  The preacher seems rather cynical when he talks about life under sun.  Such negative talk could leave someone with the impression that there is no reason to live nor are there any benefits to life.  Is this really what the preacher is saying?  Should we really think that there are no blessings of life under the sun?