Gratitude Everyday - Matt Wheaton

Matt Wheaton is the founder of GratitudeEveryday.net! Every day he strengthens his gratitude practice by sharing inspirational quotes, songs and his voice through his daily podcast and social media posts. After a near death experience this past year Matt started GratitudeEveryday to help others find one thing every day to be grateful for. Matt’s a true believer and knows that perspective and true joy comes from the appreciation of what you have and not in what you don’t. Enjoy this exclusive interview with Matt Wheaton.

What does being grateful mean to you?

I think that being grateful means I open my eyes to see all that I have in my life. The blessings are there, but I have to choose to see them.

Right now, in this moment what are 3 things you are grateful for?

1. Friends/Family – My birthday was this past week and I was able to connect with a lot of people who mean so much to me.
2. Students – I love working in a high school because my students bring so much energy and curiosity into my day. I am constantly learning from them!
3. Community – The people I’ve met through the Gratitude Everyday account and podcast are awesome! They are the reason that I do this every day!

Who has helped you become the person you are today, and what would you’d thank them for?

Screen Shot 2017-11-27 at 1.14.22 PM My entire family has really shaped me into the person I am today, but I really admire my Grandfather. He is one of the people who has impacted my life the most. I’d thank him for teaching me when to do the right thing even when it’s difficult, how to lead by example, and how to make others laugh.

What inspired you to start Gratitude Everyday?

The entire idea came to me while training for a triathlon. I was cycling early one Saturday morning and a pickup truck almost hit me. I finished the ride, went home, and just sat in my room. After a few hours passed of me feeling sorry for myself, I asked myself “Why are you just sitting here wasting your Saturday? You’ve got so much to be grateful for, now go out and do something!” I connected my feelings that day to the fact that I know so many people who don’t recognize the things that they have to be grateful for in their lives. I wanted to create a platform that would help people find at least one thing to be grateful for every day.

What inspired you to start your daily Gratitude Everyday Podcast on Anchor and what have you learned from the process?

I started the podcast because I’m really interested in the future of audio. I’ve really enjoyed the process of learning how to make and produce a podcast. At first, it was overwhelming and I jokingly asked myself “Why did I have to put ‘everyday’ in your page name?” but I think that I’m in a pretty good rhythm now! The hard part for me is there is much less interaction with listeners of the podcast compared to Instagram, but I’m still interested in experimenting more with the podcast.

Could you recommend some positive social media feeds that inspire you?

I really enjoy listening to Lewis Howes’ “The School of Greatness Podcast”. GaryVee’s content Screen Shot 2017-11-29 at 5.48.49 PM anywhere is going to inspire you so much if you’re willing to LISTEN and then ACT on what he says. Music really inspires me, and the lyrics to a song are much more important than the sound. Artists like Switchfoot, NF, and Lecrae are just a few of my favorites!

What is one suggestion you could give to our audience that can help them incorporate gratitude into their daily lives?

I would encourage them to reflect deeply and regularly on “WHAT DOES BEING GRATEFUL LOOK LIKE IN MY EVERYDAY LIFE?”
Gratitude can be demonstrated so many different ways and all have powerful effects. I don’t think we truly understand the power of a “thank you” sometimes, going out of your way to help someone, or buying a small gift for someone. These simple ways of showing gratitude can add up to make a huge impact on our world.