It’s important to understand that listing gratitudes is a symptom of a grateful mindset, not the cause of it. If our list contains things that can be taken away — money, people, achievements — then losing them feels like gratitude failed us.

But real gratitude is not based on possessions.
Real gratitude can be for:

• Life itself
• Breath in your body
• Sound
• Sight
• Warmth
• A moment of peace
• Anything that exists in this moment

We have thousands of things to be grateful for at any moment, but we don’t know how to look for them because we’re trying to force the thoughts of gratitude instead of creating the mindset of gratitude.

What blocks gratitude isn’t loss, it’s desire turning into greed, and fear turning into craving. When our desires get out of hand, gratitude becomes impossible.

So instead of forcing gratitude, we can focus on being present.
When we stop trying to escape the moment, gratitude naturally arises.
When we accept this moment — as it is — gratitude becomes effortless.