Most of us experience gratitude internally. We feel thankful, appreciative, even deeply moved—but we stop there. What happens when gratitude doesn’t stay private?
That question has been on my mind ever since I started writing letters to people who shaped my thinking, my work, and my life. Not thank-you notes. Letters. The kind that arrive unexpectedly and say, “You mattered to me—and here’s why.”
In my conversation with Joel Zuckerman, author of Gratitude Tiger, we explored what he calls expressive gratitude. Unlike journaling—which is reflective and inward—expressive gratitude turns our attention outward. It requires time, thought, and a willingness to be a little vulnerable.
What struck me most wasn’t the number of letters Joel has written (over 300), but the intention behind them. He doesn’t write for applause or acknowledgment. He writes because the act itself creates meaning. The reward isn’t just in the response—it’s in the doing.
You don’t need to write hundreds of letters. You don’t even need to write one every month. You just need to start with one person who comes to mind immediately. If someone’s name surfaced while reading this, that might be your signal.