“If you struggle with gratitude, just practice.”

Do you ever struggle with gratitude?

“If you struggle with gratitude, just practice.” — Dr. Rangan Chatterjee

It’s not an earth-shattering statement, right? In fact, it’s simple. And simplicity often carries the most power. But many of us make things harder than they need to be—especially when it comes to something as fundamental as gratitude.

Let’s take a closer look at that line.

“If you struggle with gratitude…”

Why would someone struggle with gratitude?

For many, it’s not even about effort. It’s that they don’t yet have the capacity in their body or belief system to feel it. Maybe they never had the chance to cultivate it. Maybe gratitude wasn’t taught to them, or they never saw it as important. For some, practicing gratitude might feel soft, even “woo-woo,” like it’s something only other people do. (Does any of this resonate with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.)

“…just practice.”

So, what does it really mean to practice?

Here’s my favorite definition: “perform (an activity) or exercise (a skill) repeatedly or regularly in order to improve or maintain one's proficiency.” Practice helps you get better at something over time, and it’s meant to be done consistently.

I have a lot of practices. These are a few: work, yoga, breathing, movement, meditation, reframing, compassion, gratitude. The list is long, and each one serves a purpose in my life. But in the end, it’s all about feeling better than I did the day before. Gratitude is a practice just like these others, and for me, it shows up most clearly around at dinner time.

Every night, Jerry and I have a little ritual. Before we eat, we take a few deep breaths, share what we’re grateful for, and then enjoy our meal. It takes less than five minutes. But the impact? It's huge! It improves our mood in the moment and our marriage overtime.

Here’s an invitation: Try it right now.

Take a moment to pause. Take a breath. Look around you, and let your eyes settle on something that stirs a little gratitude in you.

Pause again.

Can you feel it? Where does that gratitude show up in your body? Take a second to remember that feeling; try to archive it.

I’ll share mine with you: Right now, as I take in my living room, from floor to ceiling and fireplace to kitchen, I feel gratitude in my eyes and chest. My breath has slowed. My chest feels lighter. This is what gratitude feels like for me—and with practice, the impact only grows stronger over time.

Try it again later today, maybe in an hour. And then again tomorrow. You might feel something begin to shift. I promise.

If anything comes up for you as you try this, I’d love to hear about it. Hit reply and let me know.

Have a great week, and I hope you find a little time today to practice feeling better.

Sending love,
Mike

If you want more of these articles sent directly to your inbox, subscribe to my newsletter!