Is Resentment Stopping You From Feeling Grateful?

Resentment can act as a beacon, helping us to identify an area undermining our well-being

Any action we take to move away from resentment is a step toward gratitude. fizkes/Shutterstock

I have been researching gratitude for 25 years, mainly in the field of education. No matter what the context or country, when I raise the topic of resentment in my workshops, the mood of the discussion starts to shift.

Participants are generally more engaged, and relieved to know that it’s OK to struggle with the idea that gratitude can be applicable to all situations. Many come up to me afterward and ask me, “OK, I get gratitude, but how can I be grateful when I feel so resentful?”