I’ve always struggled with gratitude. Part of the reason is that I misunderstood it and as a result, tried to misapply it. Gratitude, as I imagined it, was something I had to “make” happen. A sign of character and personal virtue that I had to build like a muscle. But the difficulty with this conception of gratitude is it doesn’t give you much of a ladder to climb. It leaves you with a sense you should probably be more grateful, but without a clear conception of how to get there.
There are many practices that can lead to gratitude, with meditation and journaling being two of them. But I’ve found a pathway that is much easier.
Rather than trying to increase gratitude, focus on reducing entitlement. Gratitude begins where entitlement ends, and as you shift the line between what you believe you deserve, and what you see as just pure gift - gratitude will naturally spring forth.
THIS WEEK: Reflect on the following. Who is someone you probably take for granted? How do they experience you because of this? How do you experience them because of this? How might reducing your own entitlement transform your relationship?
All the best,
Steve Lawson - Monk Manual Founder
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