We all have these most advanced, incredible bodies of infinite potential. When we lose our gratefulness, we lose sight of our infinite nature. Instead of seeing infinite possibilities, we see only obstacles. But when we are grateful for ourselves, we know we can overcome anything, that there is nothing that somebody else has that we do not possess in terms of our inner ability. Every single one of us wins. If we put in the effort, we get the reward.

Most people don’t put in the effort because they carry a pessimistic mindset. They feel that the effort won’t pay off. But for those who are grateful, the opportunity to give back, to others, to our community, and to society, and to be a provider for ourselves and our families is an incredible gift.

We live in an age of abundant opportunity. Without gratitude, it would feel unbearable to step into the workforce, enter a competitive landscape, and try to carve out an existence. But with gratitude, every day becomes a gift. It doesn’t matter what tomorrow brings. If we are breathing, we have an opportunity to make today better than yesterday.

Another action we can all take to create that effortless gratitude mindset is to introduce a little bit of minimalism into our lives. When I stopped paying attention to the desires that were put in front of me, I was able to start appreciating what I had.

Another thing that I would do is go camping in the forest, go hiking and backpacking for a few days whenever I was getting impatient from New York City being a very high-energy place. It’s always alive, there’s always something exciting going on, and everything is available at your fingertips on demand, instantly delivered to your door 24/7. So we’ve become accustomed to whatever we are used to, and we begin to take it for granted. 

So I would notice if I left New York and went to a town where things closed at 10 p.m., I would get so frustrated and like, “What is this tiny town about?” But whenever I got too impatient and too short-tempered, I knew I needed to go into the forest where I wouldn’t have coffee, I wouldn’t have social media, no internet, no phone, no books, just me in the woods to slow down to nature’s pace. It is so recentering for me, and it slows my body and mind down. And I tell you, a few-day trip out in the woods for me lasts for six months of benefits.

But we don’t have to go to those extremes. We can all find a middle path for us that feels right. For me, the extreme was 50 days in a forest. So two or three or four days is my middle path. But maybe for you, it’s “Minimal Monday,” and you just spend one day, whatever minimal means for you. Maybe it’s no coffee and caffeine, maybe it’s no sugar, maybe it’s no social media, no news, whatever we’ve become too addicted to, whatever has not been serving our greatest purpose and our highest well-being, we let that go for one day. One day a week. And we start to let go of some of that stuff we take for granted, that we always expect to be there, that we rely upon. To just go one day where we slow down and we really appreciate the simple things. So the next day and the rest of the week, whatever we gave up becomes so much more enriching for us.

No matter who we are, no matter what we get used to, we begin to take for granted, and we lose touch with our own blessings in life. And it is a shame that so many blessings go to waste on so many ungrateful people.

Truly, the harder it is to find things to be grateful for, the more important it is that we look. And you will find it everywhere.