The Gratitude Attitude: Why This “High-Frequency” Emotion Changes Everything
Gratitude has become a buzzword, but for us it’s not a hashtag — it’s a practice. In this week’s episode of Permission the Podcast, we explored what we’ve started calling “The Gratitude Attitude” — how deliberately choosing gratitude can shift your mornings, your mindset, your relationships, and even your opportunities.
This conversation began, as so many of ours do, with our own routines. One of us has been waking up at 4:44 a.m., the other refuses anything before 5:30 (coffee first, always). We realized we’d both been quietly weaving gratitude into our mornings — and watching life rearrange itself in response.
Gratitude in Action: Two Morning Rituals
Dr. T’s 6 a.m. Practice
“I get to yoga 15–20 minutes early so I can meditate. I start with the simplest things: I’m grateful for showing up, for my breath, for my hands, my shoulders, my hips. Movement becomes a prayer. Sometimes I even kiss my own shoulders. Gratitude isn’t something I check off — it’s something I feel.”
Silvana’s Slow Start
“I keep a coffee setup right by my bed. Before CrossFit or work or anything else, I take at least half an hour to wake up slowly with my coffee. Lately I’ve noticed gratitude creeping in, uninvited but welcome. Sometimes it’s for little things — a painting of my late dog Iman; sometimes it’s for big ones — like opportunities arriving out of nowhere.”
Two very different styles, one shared theme: gratitude isn’t just about writing a list. It’s about starting the day in a vibration of appreciation before anything else has a chance to crowd in.
Gratitude as Surrender
One reason gratitude feels so powerful is that it’s a form of surrender. When Dr. T returned to Saint Patrick’s Cathedral recently, she realized she wasn’t just visiting a church; she was reconnecting with her younger self, her ancestors, and a tradition of letting go.
“I’m responsible for my actions and my choices, but I’m not responsible for everything else,” she explains. “Walking into that space helps me release control over outcomes — and what fills the space afterward is gratitude.”
This shift from “making things happen” to “doing your part, then letting go” creates a surprising spaciousness. And in that spaciousness, life starts offering gifts you didn’t script.
The Side Effects of Gratitude
In the past few weeks alone, both of us have watched gratitude coincide with new possibilities:
A podcast idea turning into a real business plan overnight
Meetings with unexpected collaborators and mentors
Invitations to share art at local events
A sense of clarity (“the Claritin effect,” as we joked) about which opportunities to pursue
It’s not magic thinking. It’s the natural byproduct of showing up open, present, and thankful. Gratitude shifts your attention — and what you pay attention to expands.
Grief, Joy, and Tears of Thanks
Gratitude can also transform how we hold the past. Silvana shared a moment of looking at a painting of her late dog and being overwhelmed — not with grief, but with joy. “I cried because I was so thankful for his life and his love,” she said. “It was different from the tears when he died. This was gratitude.”
This is a key part of the practice: gratitude doesn’t erase pain. It reframes it, creating room for grace.
How to Start Your Own Gratitude Attitude
You don’t have to wake up at 4:44 a.m. or kiss your shoulders in yoga class. Try one of these simple entries into gratitude:
First Breath: Before you open your eyes, thank your breath.
Body Scan: As you move in the morning — stretching, showering, brushing teeth — thank each part of your body.
Letting Go List: When you feel overwhelmed, write down what’s yours to do and what you’re releasing.
End-of-Day Reflection: Name three things from the day, big or small, that you’re grateful for.
As Dr. T put it: “Gratitude plus self-love is a force of power.”
Our Gratitude, to You
We’re deeply grateful for everyone listening to Permission the Podcast — for your messages, your stories, your presence. Your gratitude adds to ours. We hope these conversations give you lightness, laughter, and a nudge toward your own practices.
The “Gratitude Attitude” isn’t about perfection. It’s about creating space — for joy, for opportunity, for self-compassion. And as we’re learning firsthand, when you create that space, life rushes in to fill it.
Join us next week as we continue exploring how to live with more permission, presence, and power.