In partnership with

Saturday, November 8, 2025

Become the go-to AI expert in 30 days

AI keeps coming up at work, but you still don't get it?

That's exactly why 1M+ professionals working at Google, Meta, and OpenAI read Superhuman AI daily.

Here's what you get:

• Daily AI news that matters for your career - Filtered from 1000s of sources so you know what affects your industry.

• Step-by-step tutorials you can use immediately - Real prompts and workflows that solve actual business problems.

• New AI tools tested and reviewed - We try everything to deliver tools that drive real results.

• All in just 3 minutes a day

Join 1M+ pros

🌱 Expanded Meaning

This quote beautifully turns our usual understanding of happiness upside down. Many believe that we feel grateful because we’re happy — that joy comes first, and gratitude follows. But Benedictine monk David Steindl-Rast invites us to look deeper.

Gratitude is not a reaction to happiness; it’s the seed that grows it. When we practice gratitude — by appreciating life’s small, often overlooked blessings — we shift our focus from what’s missing to what’s already present. This shift in perception naturally creates joy.

Happiness, then, is not a pursuit or a prize. It’s a by-product of a grateful mind. Gratitude changes how we see the world — not by denying difficulty, but by recognizing the good that still exists even within it. Every challenge becomes an opportunity to learn; every day, a gift to be noticed.

🕊️ Context and Origin

David Steindl-Rast, born in 1926 in Vienna, Austria, is a Benedictine monk and one of the world’s most influential voices on gratitude and mindfulness. He co-founded Grateful Living (formerly “A Network for Grateful Living”), a global nonprofit encouraging people to live more joyfully through thankfulness.

His words gained worldwide recognition through his TED Talk, “Want to Be Happy? Be Grateful,” which has inspired millions. In it, he explains that happiness doesn’t depend on having perfect conditions — it grows when we approach life with a grateful heart, open to the present moment.

🌻 Added Value for the Reader

1. Start small: Each morning, list three things you’re grateful for. Simple rituals build powerful emotional habits.

2. Reframe challenges: Instead of asking “Why me?” ask “What can this teach me?”

3. Stay present: Gratitude brings attention to what’s happening now, rather than waiting for the future to make us happy.

4. Nurture connection: Expressing thanks to others deepens relationships and strengthens emotional bonds.

Gratitude transforms ordinary moments into extraordinary gifts. When you practice it, happiness stops being fleeting — it becomes your steady companion.

📚 Resource List: The Power of Gratitude and Happiness

🧠 Books & Writings

• Gratefulness, the Heart of Prayer by David Steindl-Rast
  Explores gratitude as a spiritual path that infuses daily life with purpose.

• The Way of Silence: Engaging the Sacred in Daily Life by David Steindl-Rast
  A meditative look at finding peace and joy through awareness and gratitude.

• Thanks! How Practicing Gratitude Can Make You Happier by Robert Emmons, Ph.D.
  Grounded in research, this book reveals how gratitude enhances happiness, resilience, and health.

• The Book of Joy by Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu
  A beautiful dialogue on gratitude, compassion, and the shared human pursuit of joy.

🎧 Talks & Videos

• TED Talk: “Want to Be Happy? Be Grateful” — David Steindl-Rast
  A transformative message on gratitude as the foundation of happiness.
   🔗 Watch on TED.com

• Podcast: “The Practice of Grateful Living” — On Being with Krista Tippett
  A profound conversation with Steindl-Rast about gratitude as a daily discipline.
   🔗 Listen on OnBeing.org

🌿 Research & Articles

• Greater Good Science Center (UC Berkeley):
  In-depth studies on the science of gratitude and its impact on well-being.
   🔗 greatergood.berkeley.edu/topic/gratitude

• Harvard Health Publishing:
  “Giving Thanks Can Make You Happier” — Research on how gratitude improves mental health and overall life satisfaction.
   🔗 health.harvard.edu

✍️ Tools & Practices

• Grateful Living — Daily gratitude prompts, reflection tools, and global community.
   🔗 grateful.org

• The Five-Minute Journal — A simple and effective tool for building a gratitude habit.

• 365 Days of Gratitude Challenge — Write down one thing you’re grateful for each day; by year’s end, you’ll have a journal of joy.

💬 Reflection Prompts

1. What simple moment today brought you peace or joy?

2. How can you express gratitude to someone who’s helped you recently?

3. What difficult experience are you now thankful for because it helped you grow?

4. What can you appreciate right now that you once took for granted?

🌈 Closing Reflection

Gratitude isn’t something you wait to feel when life is perfect — it’s what makes life feel perfect, even when it’s not.
By choosing gratefulness first, you open the door to a happiness that doesn’t depend on circumstances — it flows from within.