Gratitude doesn’t mean settling. It means noticing the ground you’re standing on while you climb.

Being thankful gets mistaken for being satisfied, so ambitious people skip it in case it slows them down. It tends to work the other way. Noticing what already holds you up, the people, the roof, the second chance you got, makes the climb steadier, because you are not treating your entire present as a problem to escape.

Name one thing tonight that is already working, specifically rather than generally. Then go back to wanting more without apologizing for it. Both run at the same time, and the version with gratitude in it wears you out less.