Gratitude as Joe defines it is not the Thanksgiving dinner table “I’m grateful for the food, can I eat now?” It’s a full-body sensation — typically tingly and warm — that includes an acknowledgment of something greater than yourself. The natural part of gratitude is that it points beyond the ego: “oh man, I turned just at the right time” — there’s a recognition that you’re not fully in control.
This felt quality is what distinguishes real gratitude from performative positivity. Real gratitude physically feels good, requires no convincing, can include tears or anger alongside it, and never denies other emotional experiences. You can be deeply grateful about your anger, your sadness, your fear. “Being grateful about the things that we find difficult is incredibly transformative.”
“If you’re not feeling it, you don’t get the benefits. You don’t get them if you’re not actually allowing yourself to experience the gratitude.”
The sensation comes with a relief of pressure — ego pressure releasing — because there’s an acknowledgment that you’re not fully in control. You can’t even decide your next thought, let alone control life. In that acknowledgment, there’s expansion and relief.
Related Concepts
- Felt gratitude, not performed gratitude
- Pleasure is noticing sensations moving
- Gratitude reveals abundance already present