Be Grateful for Everything—Even the Tough Stuff

On this day of American Thanksgiving, we’re supposed to make time for thanks, to actively think about that word that has become almost cliché in wellness circles: gratitude. But what is gratitude? Some people think of it as being thankful for all the good things you have in your life. Others see it as the act of acknowledging what people have done for you or what you appreciate about others. While the Stoics would have agreed that was all important, they practiced a slightly different form of gratitude. It was more inclusive and counterintuitive. It wasn’t just about being grateful for the good, but for all of life. “Convince yourself that everything is the gift of the gods,” was how Marcus Aurelius put it, “that things are good and always will be.” The first key word there is everything. The other key word is convince. Meaning: you have to tell yourself that it’s all good, even the so-called “bad stuff.” Is it possible to be grateful for that nine-hour travel delay that has you sleeping on a bench in the airport? Is it possible to be grateful for your father’s affair that tore your family apart, and which now means you’re celebrating two Thanksgivings in two houses because your parents can’t be in the same room together? Or that dark period you went through in college, when your grades fell to pieces and you thought about killing yourself? It’s not easy to be grateful for any of this, but it is possible. In the Discourses, Epictetus says, “It is easy to praise providence for anything that may happen if you have two qualities: a complete view of what has actually happened in each instance, and a sense of gratitude.” On the surface, much of what we’re upset about or wish hadn’t occurred is so objectionable that gratitude seems impossible. But if we can zoom out for that more complete view, understanding and appreciation can emerge. First off, you’re alive. That’s the silver lining of every shitty situation and should not be forgotten. But second, everything that has happened and is happening is bringing you to where you are. It’s contributing to the person you have become. And that’s a good thing. This understanding, Epictetus said, helps you see the world in full color—in the color of gratitude. The Stoics believed that we should feel gratitude for all the people and events that form our lives. We shouldn’t just be thankful for the gifts we receive, and our relationships with friends and family. We should also be aware of and grateful for the setbacks and annoyances. For the difficult coworkers and the nagging in-laws, for the stress they put on us and whatever other difficulties we might be experiencing. Why? Because it’s all of those things, interconnected and dependent on each other, that made you who and what you are today. It is only by seeing the totality of things, good and bad, that you gain the understanding necessary to be truly grateful. It could be that terrible relationship that imploded spectacularly, but which led to you meeting the love of your life. It could even be the passing of a relative, something that caused you great sadness but which also spurred you to build stronger relationships with your loved ones. All of these things are sad, and they may not even lead to a happy ending—but they still define the course of your life, and it wouldn’t be you sitting there right now without them. As you gather around your family and friends this Thanksgiving or Christmas or any other celebration you might partake in, take the time to appreciate the moment and give thanks for all the obvious and bountSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. 📢 Share | ⚙️ Manage Subscription

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:06Ryan Holiday?

  Welcome to The Daily Stoic, where each day we read a short passage designed to help you cultivate the strength, insight, wisdom necessary for living the good life. Each one of these passages is based on the 2,000-year-old philosophy that has guided some of history's greatest men and women. For more, you can visit us at DailyStoic.com. Be grateful for everything, even the tough stuff. On this day of American Thanksgiving, we're supposed to make time for thanks, to actively think about that word that has become almost cliche in wellness circles: gratitude. But what is gratitude? Some people think of it as being thankful for all the good things

• 0:48Ryan Holiday?

  you have in your life. Others see it as the act of acknowledging what people have done for you or what you appreciate about others. While the Stoics would have agreed that all this was important, they practiced a slightly different form of gratitude, one that was more inclusive and a little bit counterintuitive. For them, it wasn't just about being grateful for the good, but for all of life. "Convince yourself that everything is the gift of the gods," was how Marcus Aurelius put it, "that things are good and always will be." The first key word there is "everything." The other key word is "convince," meaning you have to tell yourself that it's all good,

• 1:29Ryan Holiday?

  even the so-called bad stuff. Is it possible to be grateful for that nine-hour travel delay that has you sleeping on a bench in the airport? Is it possible to be grateful for your father's affair that tore your family apart and which now means you're celebrating two Thanksgivings in two houses because your parents can't be in the same room together? Or that dark period you went through in college when your grades fell to pieces and you thought about killing yourself? It's not easy to be grateful for any of this, but it is possible. In the Discourses, Epictetus says, "It is easy to praise providence for anything that may happen if you have two qualities: a complete view of what has actually happened." In each instance, and a sense of gratitude.

• 2:13Ryan Holiday?

  On the surface, much of what we're upset about or wish hadn't occurred is so objectionable that gratitude seems impossible. But if we can zoom out for a more complete view, understanding and appreciation can emerge. First off, you're alive. That's the silver lining of every shitty situation and should not be forgotten. But second, everything that has happened and is happening is bringing you to where you are. It's contributing to the person you have become, and that's a good thing. This understanding, Epictetus says, helps you see the world in full color, in the color of gratitude. The Stoics believed that we should feel gratitude for all the people and events that form our lives.

• 2:56Ryan Holiday?

  We shouldn't just be thankful for the gifts we receive or the relationships with friends and families. We should also be aware of and grateful for the setbacks and annoyances, for the difficult coworkers and the nagging in-laws, for the stress they put on us and whatever other difficulties we might be experiencing. Why? Because it's all of those things interconnected and dependent on each other that made you who you are and what you are today. It's only by seeing the totality of things, good and bad, that you gain the understanding necessary to be truly grateful. It could be that terrible relationship that imploded spectacularly but led you to meeting the love of your life.

• 3:39Ryan Holiday?

  It could even be the passing of a relative, something that caused you great sadness but which also spurred you to build stronger relationships with your loved ones. All of these things are sad, and they may not even lead to a happy ending, but they still define the course of your life, and it wouldn't be you sitting here right now without them. As you gather around your family and friends this Thanksgiving, or Christmas, or any other celebration you might partake in, take the time to appreciate the moment and give thanks for all the obvious and bountiful gifts that moment presents. But also be sure to be thankful for everything in your life, both the good and the bad,

• 4:19Ryan Holiday?

  because it is seeing all of those things and understanding their impact that you gain the ability to express true gratitude. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. Thank you for supporting The Daily Stoic, for listening. It's an honor to make these for you. We appreciate it so much. Be good.