Christi Nation
By Christi Nation
“You can’t be grateful and negative at the same time. Start with one thank you.” – Unknown
This morning, I started collecting Gratitudes. I left the house this morning and challenged myself to find just three things I was grateful for before I got to work. I ended up with ten.
They weren’t big things—just tiny moments of ease or joy:
- The pothole that’s always there? Filled.
- A short red light.
- No traffic when I turned left.
- The passing lane opened just when I needed it.
That’s when it hit me: I’m collecting Gratitudes. Like a hobby. Some people collect coins or vintage postcards. I collect the good. The moments that go right. The tiny details that could easily be missed but make the day a little lighter.
I’ve started treating Gratitude like a practice—a collection that rewires my brain. And it’s not just a feel-good thing. Neuroscience calls it neuroplasticity—our brain physically changes based on what we focus on. When we notice what’s good, our brain gets better at finding more good.
It doesn’t matter if I remember every single one. It matters that I looked. Gratitude is an antidote. It doesn’t erase the bad stuff, but it gives it company. Perspective. A counterbalance.
Here’s your happiness action for today:
Start your own collection. Three gratitudes. That’s it.
Because when the hard moments come—and they will—you can remind yourself: “I’ve already collected three good things today.”
And that changes everything.
Christi Nation is a coach, conference speaker, and corporate trainer with Nation Training & Development. She’s battled and beaten two cancers—and now teaches leaders how to face pressure with grit and grace. Email Christi.Nation@NationTD.com to get her free guide, “Stop the Stress Before It Starts: 7 Micro Habits to Find Calm in Chaos.”
