Gratitude: Move From Feeling to Being

There are two benefits to making gratitude lists.

Unfortunately, a lot of people reach for the first benefit, which is kind of like the dog who chases his tail.

The harder we reach, the more it eludes us.

Crafting a gratitude list, especially on a regular basis, helps us feel more grateful.

This is the first benefit.

The simple act of writing down a handful of things that we are grateful for, each morning as we start our day, sets our metaphorical sails towards positivity and productivity.

We have clarity, because we feel calm and focused.

However, the day will inevitably bring challenges. Each day does. And if we’re hoping these feelings of calm and focus will continue simply because we wrote down a few things we’re grateful for, we’re mistaken. Feelings are fleeting.

The key is consistency.

When we craft our gratitude list, day after day after day, we build up 30 or 60 or 90 lists, and patterns emerge.

This is the second benefit.

We see what’s important in our lives.

We see how often we mentioned our spouse, or our kids, or our health.

We see how rarely we mentioned our net worth, or our cars, or any thing.

We realize that we don’t just feel grateful - we are grateful.