Nathan Tanner

30 Days of Gratitude: An Experiment in Giving Thanks

For the next month I’ll be writing a daily post sharing something I’m grateful for.

Why?

I came home a few nights back in kind of a funk. My relationships with my wife and kids are great and work is going well. There was nothing materially wrong, but something was nagging at me. So I did what I often do when I feel restless. I went on a long walk and listened to an audiobook or podcast (can’t remember which). On my return, I still felt the same.

The next day I continued reading The Happiness Equation by Neil Pasricha (I started it a few months back.) He discussed how expressing gratitude consistently leads to greater happiness. Later that day I listened to several talks centered on how to find greater joy, peace, and happiness. A recurring theme was the need to show thanks in all things.

Sure, nothing mindblowing here. But even though I know gratitude is an essential element to being happy, I don’t express thanks enough.

I go to work every day to solve problems. To tackle challenges. When I leave work I remain in problem solving mode, thinking about all the things that need to be fixed. But sometimes there is no problem to be solved. Sometimes things in life just need to be appreciated for what they are. I have a lot to be grateful for. I want to focus more on those things.

So that’s why I’m kicking off 30 days of gratitude. Every day I’ll write a blog post sharing something I’m grateful for.

If you want to follow along, subscribe in the top right corner of this page. Day 1 starts tomorrow.

#30daysofgratitude