Gratitude rewires your brain and changes everything around you

Have you ever wondered how something as simple as thankfulness could dramatically impact your mental health? Turns out, science backs what wisdom traditions have taught for centuries—gratitude transforms lives from the inside out.

Gratitude isn't just a pleasant emotion; it's a powerful practice that rewires your brain. Studies show a single act of gratitude can boost happiness by 10% and reduce depressive symptoms by 35%. The catch? These benefits fade within months unless you make gratitude consistent. I share my personal method of writing down five things I'm grateful for daily, demonstrating how even seemingly insignificant observations—like appreciating the walls that shelter you or finding joy in a memento on your desk—can shift your entire perspective.

Through a revealing personal story about staying true to myself during a company-wide reduction announcement, I explore how authentic self-expression connects deeply with gratitude. When colleagues were uncomfortable with my relaxed approach during this tense situation, it highlighted something profound—protecting your genuine identity is essential for cultivating gratitude. As my fiancée wisely reminded me, "No matter what people think or say about you, you must protect your identity because that's what makes us unique."

Gratitude works by shifting focus from what's absent to what's present. It helps reframe negativity and stress without denying pain's existence. Instead, it offers a different lens through which to view challenges, finding meaning even in discomfort. Regular practice strengthens your mind and body—improving sleep, supporting immune health, and building emotional resilience.

What are you grateful for today? Share your thoughts in the comments, and pass this message to someone ready to shift from stress to strength. Because gratitude isn't just something you feel—it's a way of living that opens your eyes to what's already good in your life.

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction to Gratitude
• 8:52 Understanding True Identity
• 12:11 Negativity, Stress and Fulfillment
• 14:22 Daily Gratitude Practice
• 22:17 Benefits and Recap
• 25:32 Final Thoughts and Call to Action

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Did you know that studies, guys, indicate that engaging in gratitude can help with stress and anxiety? In fact, guys, the same research has demonstrated that just one act of gratitude can lead to an instant 10% boost in happiness and a 35% decrease in depressive symptoms. Okay, also, these benefits tend to reduce within three to six months, showing the importance of always practicing gratitude. Hi guys, my name is Fabio from Journey to Success, and Welcome. Today we introduce the concept of gratitude and how it can transform your life. But before to go forward, as always, please subscribe. So I know this is the right direction to lead you, guys, to drive you, to guide you towards your journey to success. And let's get started, all right, so let's introduce first the concept of gratitude.

Speaker 1: 1:01

What is gratitude and why is it so important? Right, gratitude, first of all, is an emotion, and it is an emotion similar to appreciation. And with gratitude, you notice the beautiful aspects of our lives. And when we adopt an attitude of gratitude, okay, we embrace life, we acknowledge that, in general, life is good and contains elements that make it beneficial. So it doesn't matter if something good happens in your life or something wrong happens in your life. We have this realization that, whatever we're going to receive in the long term in a long term will bring joy, okay. So, also, gratitude involves understanding that existence seems to be regulated by someone bigger. We may feel thankful to our creator, you know, to the universe, humans, also animals, the environments, but not to ourselves anyway. When I say, for example, I'm very grateful that I can wake up early in the morning to do my podcast, all right, it's interesting to consider the deeper meaning behind those words. So it seems that I'm expressing gratitude to an external force. Ok, so when you express gratitude like, I don't know, I'm grateful that I'm losing weight or I'm grateful for the strength to stay on track with my diet, it may seem like we're referring to ourselves, right, but in reality, if you hear correctly, so I'm grateful for the strength to stay on track with my diet, for the strength, you know, to stay on track with my diet. See, it's really, it looks really towards someone else. It often feels like there is a third party involved, divine or not. So this suggests that when we express gratitude, we are acknowledging a bigger presence or influence in our lives.

Speaker 1: 3:19

Now let's discuss the initial struggles you faced before implementing the gratitude concept, as negativity, stress or lack of fulfillment. So let's talk about negativity, all right. Negativity is indicated by an inclination to feel down, to feel doubtful, to have doubts, to feel doubtful, to have doubtful and hopeless. When we're negative, we typically focus on the worst aspects of any scenario, often sensing negative elements where they may not exist. This is why negativity is often harmful to our mental health okay and, of course, overall well-being. Individuals who are negative tend, of course, to be pessimistic. They often complain, are critical of others and they blame people around them. They can make feel down the same people. It is important to understand that if someone around a negative person does not have a strong attitude, this person can be affected by this negativity. So negative individuals tend to have certain resentment as well and often strangle, with low self-esteem.

Speaker 1: 4:35

Actually, I would like to share something with you, something that happened at my job literally yesterday. Even if you might be listening to this episode in about three weeks, I guess, we are currently experiencing a significant reduction in staff guys in my job. So the company plans to move or fire, let's say, around 40-50% of the employees, say around 40-50% of the employees. We received communication from the company that this is going to happen. All right, they didn't specify any names yet, which means it could be any of us, but anyway, it's going to happen. So, during a meeting with my colleagues and the big guy who announced the bad news, my approach evident evidently seemed to annoy some people. How do I know? I know because I spoke to my team leader and she told me Fabio, the way you handled the meeting, with some smiles and relaxed questions while you know everyone else was so tense, made some people uncomfortable, including the big guy. Of course, I appreciate the feedback and she's a great person, but this situation highlights one of the downsides of working in any company. In fact, I can't be angry with anyone, honestly, because this is how corporations operate.

Speaker 1: 6:08

Okay, you often feel like you need to fit into a box that makes you shape in a different form than you naturally have, than your natural one. So this is very important to understand, okay, because the moment the company makes you notice that you are acting differently, it's also the moment where you really should realize that you are showing a different identity that's your identity than the company wants from you. Also, I'm a very target goal person, so when something happens in my life, I try to adapt quickly. I look for new opportunities. Okay, there's a reason why I was relaxed with myself, but anyway, let's stick to this part of the topic. So, negative emotions and gratitude. So, and let's give this example See, sometimes human beings approach situations with a negative or hostile mindset.

Speaker 1: 7:17

And when faced with heavy negative emotions, guys, people often seek to shift some of their responsibility onto others, and that's what happened evidently in this meeting. The colleagues, my colleagues some of the responsibility onto others. That's what happened evidently in this meeting. Some of my colleagues were stressed and they were annoyed about my behavior. This is a common human reaction that can happen to anyone, including you guys and myself as well. Of course, I'm not immune, no one is immune but it's important to acknowledge this behavior.

Speaker 1: 7:49

In the case of this meeting, I believe only a few people thought, like you know what this could be a sign for me to look for something better or reinvent myself. Signs, guys. Signs are very important. All right, how much important are the signs? In the previous episode, we talked about the psychologist Carl Jung and his approach to understanding the unconscious and subconscious mind and where this can help you also achieve your goals, especially by recognizing patterns and signs around you to make the right choices okay, but you can only approach this mental model only if you maintain a positive mindset, a big positive mindset, filled with gratitude, as much as you can. Of course, bad things happen, but as much as you can, you have to try to maintain a positive mindset and be grateful. Anyway, still continue with my story.

Speaker 1: 8:50

After finishing the meeting with my TL, with my team leader, who I really think is a great person and I wish her the best, same as my operational manager in Amsterdam. He also has a special seat in my heart and I say hello to both. They are very good people. Anyway, after finishing the meeting with my TL, with my team leader, I went straight away to my fiancé and said love, it looks like I hurt someone during the meeting. That wasn't my intention, but it happened.

Speaker 1: 9:21

See, guys, as much as I wasn't sorry about my behavior and as much as I was very sad, I had a proper remorse about what happened to my colleagues based on my manners. There was also a mix of feelings because I wasn't sorry, because being sorry meant also neglect my identity, my persona, right, but for sure I was very sad. I was very sorry in the sense that I was sorry about them, you know, but yeah, I had some remorse. I didn't feel very well, you know. Of course, I didn't want to touch the sensibility of no one. Anyway, my fiancé responded to me Listen, let me tell you something. I said okay, I'm ready for some feedback again. Come on, we can do this.

Speaker 1: 10:24

And she said no matter what people think or say about you, you must protect your identity, because that's what makes us unique. And she's right, you know, if your identity is genuine, pure and filled with thoughtful intentions, you should embrace it, even if being true to yourself might unintentionally hurt someone. Let's be honest, guys, your identity is the most important thing. The moment you fully express your identity is when you become more unique and special. Okay, it is when you become a wall within yourself and realize the power of gratitude. When you express your true identity, guys, you become a wall within yourself and realize the power of gratitude. When you express your true identity, guys, you become happier. And when you are happier, you become more grateful for what happens around you. It is also the time when some people will love you, some will dislike you or, who knows, maybe hate you, and the others will ignore you. Okay, but it's okay. It's okay, it is better to be true to yourself than to fit into a box and shape yourself to look and act like those around you. Remember that. So express your identity with positivity and, in the long run, you will experience less stress as well. And in the long run, you will experience less stress as well. Okay, so, talking about stress, actually, let's go back to our topic Stress, stress, stress can be described as a feeling of anxiety, okay, anxiety or mental tension caused by challenges or circumstances.

Speaker 1: 12:07

It is a natural human response that enables us to confront obstacles and dangers in our lives. Guys, okay, every individual experiences stress, and it can be fundamental in achieving our goals. And when you are stressed, you often feel a sense of urgency which can motivate you to move forward. However, we must be mindful of how we manage this stress because, if not handled properly, it can affect our health and wellness. And, lastly, we have the lack of unfulfillment, which is often linked to a lack of purpose and a sense of unrealized potential. We tend to feel fulfilled when we have a clear understanding of our potential. It doesn't matter if it is through developing skill, recognizing our strength or enhancing our gifts. It doesn't matter. Strength or enunching, you know our gifts. It doesn't matter Anyway. We can apply those qualities for a meaningful purpose and in this way, we end up to be more happy with ourselves. This is why I enjoy building something for myself. Like many of you, I believe I can use my potential for a bigger purpose and perhaps help not only myself, but also others.

Speaker 1: 13:37

I want to share something I enjoy doing, even if I haven't done it in a while. Talking about enjoying yourself with the right attitude, we have to understand that it is fundamental to be grateful as much as you can, as much as we can, right. So what I used to do, I used to write down five phrases each day expressing my gratitude. There is always something to appreciate, even if it might seem insignificant. Okay, and here I would like to show you five things that I'm actually thinking right now, five gratitude things that I have in my brain and I want to share with you. I want to show you how much powerful they are, and you're going to realize an incredible energy and power, something that they're going to be very powerful, not only for myself, but also for you. So, number one, first phrase, that it's very powerful in terms of energy and gratefulness.

Speaker 1: 16:05

I'm grateful that I'm a miracle. I'm grateful to be alive, so I'm grateful that I'm a miracle. I'm a great. I'm grateful to be alive, so I'm grateful that I'm. I'm grateful to be alive. Okay, only this can explain everything. Number two I'm grateful that I can see how beautiful the world is. So I can see, I can look at the trees around me, I can look at what the human being did for us, made for us, so it's beautiful. Number three I'm grateful that I can write and speak about this topic so that you can hear and benefit from it. How much great is that I can use my hands to create something. Number four I'm grateful that this is very funny. I'm grateful that, let's say, they're fixing the street outside, and it makes the money I pay for living in the Netherlands feel useful.

Speaker 1: 17:13

Just a disclaimer yeah, the moment you are positive on that is the moment you automatically shift away from any negative momentum. For example, if you start thinking, oh my God, this is terrible, I can't even find parking, you are focusing on the negative side, right? However, guys, if you focus on the positive aspect instead, the negative ones often obvious in cases like this, especially when we talk about cars anyway, cases like this one lose its power when confronted with the positive one. So this is a very powerful phrase. And number five I'm grateful for the love I receive from the people around me. Well, not only people, actually. You can be also grateful for the love you receive from animals, from the world around you, from the wind that color your face. I mean, you can be grateful for so many things. By the way, see, I didn't have to think hard about it. The phrase, just how can I say they flow, they just came to me, they flow through myself. I'm sure that, if you see it right now, if you start a phrase with, it's not superpower. Yeah, if you see it.

Speaker 1: 18:42

If you start a phrase with I'm grateful that, listen, I'm looking at the wall right now, I'm grateful that I can see the wall in front of me. What does it mean? It doesn't mean that I'm crazy. It means that I'm grateful that I'm living in the house. I'm protected from the house. It is so discounted, you know to think that we live inside four walls, but it's not, okay, I don't want to go too much. I don't want to go too much in a political-slash-philosophical way, but think about it, okay.

Speaker 1: 19:31

And if you write down what you're grateful for, let's say, five times a day, guys, you'll be surprised by the positive effects it can have on your conscious and subconscious mind. And when you find it difficult to identify what you're grateful for, as I said, just as I said for the wall, just start observing, all right. For example, right now I'm looking at my desk and I feel grateful for the lion peluche on my right. It reminds me of the time I visited the zoo with my fiancée. So you can also lock memories in this way through observation positive memories. I'm very thankful for the PlayStation 4 in front of me, to the left. I remember buying the PS4 Pro with my own money in Ireland, I think, like now, maybe nine years ago, and the satisfaction I felt was incredible Still when I look at with my first serious money. So really just observe.

Speaker 1: 20:31

Observe your surrounding, guys. You can be grateful for so many things. You can be grateful for the rain, because it creates a cozy atmosphere in your home Instead of complaining why it's always gray in the Netherlands, you know. Or for the sun, which can create a certain warmth feeling and brings back beautiful memories with family. There are so many things to be grateful, truly remember. The moment you feel grateful is the moment. Also, you become automatically positive. I remember, remember something gratitude not only boosts mood and decreases stress, but can also support your immune system, improve sleep quality, relieve pain and even shape your brain for a better emotional strength.

Speaker 1: 21:16

Okay, now let's make a recap before to wrap up. So, number one gratitude rewires your mind. So gratitude shifts your focus from what's lacking to what's already present. So, instead of staying stuck in stress, guys, doubt or emptiness, you begin to notice beauty, peace, possibility, especially, so you start to see life with more clarity and thankfulness. Okay.

Speaker 1: 21:46

Number two science supports gratitude. So one simple act of gratitude can boost your happiness by 10% and reduce depressive symptoms by 35%, but these effects disappear within months, which is why gratitude needs to become a consistent practice, not just a one-time action, something that I need to remember as well, because, honestly, yes, yes, I'm pretty positive, but being grateful is never enough. Number three it's bigger than you. When you express gratitude, guys, you recognize that there is something beyond just your own effort. It doesn't matter if we talk about people, the environment, environment, something else. You begin to feel more connected, more supported and less alone. Number four you reframe negativity and stress.

Speaker 1: 22:38

So gratitude doesn't erase pain? Okay, of course it doesn't, but it helps you look at challenges differently. So where you used to see problems, you start to see perspective. Even in pressure or discomfort you find meaning, guys, and that shifts. It's important for your emotional state, of course, because it's going to become more positive.

Speaker 1: 23:04

Okay, number five gratitude becomes a daily ritual. So when you take time to write five things you are grateful for each day, you train your mind to find the good things. Okay, even small things can be a memory, a moment of connection, a physical object. It is about an emotional weight and reminds you how much this can matters. Number six. Six you practice through observation. When it feels hard to feel grateful, you just pause and look around. Maybe it's a photo, the light outside, sound that knocked the door of your memory.

Speaker 1: 23:41

Gratitude lives in presence, and the more you notice, the more you receive. And then we have the last one, number seven. So gratitude makes strong your mind and body. So, with regular practice, gratitude improves your mood, guys, your sleep and immune health. It helps regulate your emotions and brings a deeper sense of calm and purpose. It shapes the way you show up, you know, for yourself and others.

Speaker 1: 24:08

So gratitude is not just a nice idea. It's a powerful tool. It can touch you, it can heal you, it can open your eyes to what is already good, and when you see this kind of positive frequency, everything changes, and changes for the best. Now I want to hear from you what is one thing you feel grateful for today? Drop it in the comments, no matter how big or small. Let's start a real conversation around presence, perspective and the power of gratitude. Okay, and if this message speaks to you, guys, don't keep it to yourself. Share it with someone who needs this reminder, someone who is ready to shift from stress to strength, from scarcity to thankfulness, because gratitude is not just something you feel. At least for me, it is something you live. Okay, thank you, guys, for joining on Journey to Success and see you in the next episode. Cheers.