My wife and I had a wonderful lunch with my parents. Before we left this incredible little Asian restaurant in Sandusky, Ohio, I asked my dad what I should write about this week for the newsletter. He said, “you should write about what a great time you had at lunch with your parents.” I said, “that is a really good idea Dad.”
If you read last week’s newsletter, you know that my father has Alzheimer’s disease. Even though he is almost always in a good mood, he has good days and bad days. On the good days he is great with social cues and stays involved in the conversation. On the bad days he asks the same question over and over again in just a few minutes.
Regardless, I am thankful to spend time with him.
A few months ago I was complaining about my dad’s issues to a close friend of mine. After a few minutes she simply said, “at least he is still in your life.” Her father passed away over a decade ago, so the comment hit hard.
Over Thanksgiving week I spoke with two camps of people. The first camp was grateful. They had a deep appreciation for the gifts they have been given and, in general, understood that they hit the life lottery. Many of them were dealing with health issues in and around their families, yet the gratitude was still there.
The second camp I will call the complainers. Life, to them, was going to hell in a hand basket. Nothing was going right. Everything felt unfair and out of control. Same world. Two very different responses to it.
Gratitude the Advantage
Most people think gratitude is soft. A nice idea. Something you practice when life is already going well. But the research tells a different story. When scientists have tested the difference between grateful people and complaining people, the gap is enormous. And it has nothing to do with luck or circumstance. It has everything to do with what you choose to notice each week.
A study by Robert Emmons and Michael McCullough divided participants into three groups. The first group listed a few things they were grateful for at the end of each week. The second group listed their hassles and irritations. The third group listed neutral events. Everything else in their lives stayed exactly the same. Same jobs. Same stress. Same responsibilities. The only difference was where they directed their attention.
By the end of the study, the gratitude group had pulled ahead in every way that mattered. They felt more optimistic. They slept better. They reported fewer physical symptoms. They even exercised more without being told to. Most interesting to me, they made more progress toward their most important personal goals. The hassles group, the people who rehearsed their complaints, did noticeably worse on those same measures.
This is why I say gratitude is a competitive advantage. Not because it makes life easy. It simply gives you back the energy you lose when you fixate on everything that is broken or unfair. Complaining drains you. Gratitude fuels you. Same life. Different lens. Very different outcomes.
If we want to build something meaningful in the next few years, this is the habit worth practicing. It will not eliminate problems, but it will put you in the best position to face them with clarity, resilience, and momentum.
The Gratitude Checklist
Here are simple, practical, low-friction ways to build a daily or weekly gratitude habit. These do not require journals, routines, or big life changes. They are small shifts that compound quickly.
Daily
• List three things that went right today.
• Reframe one complaint into something that is still working.
• Thank one person out loud for something specific.
• Use a small routine as a gratitude trigger, like brushing your teeth or waiting for coffee.
Weekly
• Send one short note to someone who made a difference for you.
• Celebrate one tiny win you would normally overlook.
• Write down one lesson you learned from something hard.
When life gets tough
• Ask yourself, “What can I still control?”
• Find one part of the situation that can make you better.
• Notice one physical ability you still have and appreciate it.
Practicing just a few of these can make you a happier person. It can also improve your business outcomes. Gratitude helps you think more clearly, recover faster, and build stronger relationships. Those are advantages any creator or entrepreneur can use.
About the author
Joe Pulizzi is founder of multiple startups including The Tilt and is the bestselling author of ten books including Content Inc. and Epic Content Marketing, which was named a “Must-Read Business Book” by Fortune Magazine. His latest book is Burn the Playbook: Are You Made for More? Build a Life on Your Terms.
