The Gratitude Advantage: Why Thankful People Win More Often

Here is something I noticed early in my career, and it has proven true every year since: the people who win most often are the ones who are most thankful.

Not thankful because they are winning. Thankful before they win. That is the distinction most people miss.

What I Learned from My Mentor

When I met Earl Shoaff, I was twenty-five years old and broke. I had every reason to be bitter. But Mr. Shoaff did not talk about what I was missing. He asked me what I was grateful for.

I did not have a good answer. And he said, "Jim, that is your first problem. A man who cannot find something to be thankful for will never find what he is looking for."

That changed me. Not overnight — these things never work overnight. But I began a practice that has stayed with me all these years. Every morning, before I planned my day, I took inventory of what I already had. My health. A country that rewarded effort. A mentor who believed in me before I had given him any reason to.

And here is what happened. The more I appreciated, the more I attracted. Not through magic — through attention. Gratitude sharpened my focus. It helped me see doors that had been there all along.

The Cynicism Trap

Now, let me tell you about the opposite. I have also known talented people — gifted people — who accomplished almost nothing. And every one of them had this in common: cynicism.

Cynical about the economy. Cynical about their industry. Cynical about the people around them. And the worst kind — cynical about themselves.

Here is what cynicism does. It closes every door. It shuts the windows. It locks up the channels where ideas and opportunity flow. A cynical person could be standing in a room full of open doors and see nothing but walls.

The Daily Practice

So here is what I recommend. Make gratitude a daily discipline, not a seasonal feeling.

Every morning, take two minutes — not twenty, just two — and answer this question: What do I already have that someone else is praying for?

Your health. Your family. The fact that you woke up in a country where your effort can still change your future. The friend who told you the truth last week. The book that gave you an idea last month.

Related: Begin With Gratitude and Watch the Miracles Flow Your Way

Write it down. I know that sounds simple, and it is. But simple disciplines practiced every day produce extraordinary results over time. That is the formula.

Why Grateful People Win

Grateful people win more often because they are paying better attention. When you appreciate what you have, you use it more wisely. When you appreciate the people around you, they give you their best. When you appreciate the opportunity in front of you — even the imperfect one — you work it with everything you have.

Bitter people waste what they are given because they are too busy resenting it. Grateful people multiply what they are given because they understand its value.

That is the gratitude advantage. It is available to everyone. It costs nothing. And it changes everything.