Joy doesn’t arrive first—it grows quietly from something deeper and more powerful.
“The root of joy is gratefulness…It is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful.” ~ David Steindl-Rast
Reflection
David Steindl-Rast gently flips one of our most common assumptions about happiness. We often wait for joy to appear before we feel grateful, as if gratitude were a reaction to good fortune. But gratitude is the source, not the result. When we practice noticing what is already good—breath, friendship, a sunrise, resilience—joy begins to rise naturally. Gratitude trains our eyes to see abundance rather than absence. Over time, this shift reshapes how we experience daily life. Joy stops being something we chase and becomes something we cultivate, one thankful moment at a time.
Reader Reflection Question
What small, ordinary thing could you practice gratitude for today—and how might that change your sense of joy?