Grateful Flow: From Depressed to Energized #37

Phil Stutz, co-creator of The Tools (and my spiritual father), offers a life-changing practice called Grateful Flow—the art of seeing all the things in your world you can be grateful for, right now.

Here’s what you need to know: It’s impossible to feel depressed and grateful at the same time. (Don’t believe me? Try it out!) Gratitude shifts your focus from what’s wrong to what’s right, lifting your energy and reconnecting you to the present moment.

But here’s the catch: Gratitude loses its power when we fall into gratitude kryptonite: entitlement.

From “For Granted” to “As Granted”

One of the biggest gratitude blockers is taking things for granted instead of seeing them as granted.

• For Granted: We assume what we have is permanent or deserved.
• As Granted: We recognize every moment, opportunity, and relationship as a gift.

Entitlement blinds us to the abundance in our lives. Grateful Flow opens our eyes, reminding us how much is already right in our world.

Why Grateful Flow Works

1. It Shifts Your Focus: Phil Stutz teaches that when you engage in Grateful Flow, you overwhelm your mind with positivity, making it impossible to dwell on negativity.

2. It Energizes Your Soul Force: Gratitude isn’t just an emotional shift—it’s an energy boost. It connects you to the present moment and fuels your actions with clarity and purpose.

3. It Deepens Your Connection: Recognizing what’s “as granted” in your life strengthens your relationships and appreciation for the people and opportunities around you.

The Heroic Elite Mindset

At Heroic Elite, we see gratitude as a superpower—not just a state, but a practice. Grateful Flow isn’t something you wait to feel—it’s something you actively cultivate.

Every time you choose to focus on what’s right, you reclaim your energy, align with your mission, and become the most energized, productive, and connected version of yourself.

Action for Today

Practice Grateful Flow:

1. Take a few minutes to list everything in your life you can be grateful for, right now.

• Think small: clean water, a warm bed, fresh air.
• Think big: loved ones, opportunities, your Heroically SMART Goal.

2. Reflect: Am I seeing these as granted or for granted?

3. Commit to avoiding gratitude kryptonite by letting go of entitlement and embracing abundance.

Grateful Flow transforms your mindset and your day. Let’s go.

P.S. For more on this, check out the Philosopher’s Notes on:

• The Tools by Phil Stutz
• Thanks! by Robert Emmons
• Flourish by Martin Seligman