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Some of the richest people have gratitude practices. Should you?

Last updated on April 12th, 2022 • Gratitude Journaling

Gratitude practices — like journaling things you are thankful for — have been proven to increase happiness and life satisfaction. But can it actually make you rich?

Gratitude practices — like journaling things you are thankful for — have been proven to increase happiness and life satisfaction. But can it actually make you rich?

Gratitude practices — like journaling things you are thankful for — have been proven to increase happiness and life satisfaction.

But can it actually make you rich?

In the The Science of Getting Rich, Wallace Wattles writes, “The grateful mind is constantly fixed upon the best. Therefore, it tends to become the best; it takes the form or character of the best and will receive the best.”

Most of us agree that gratitude is a good thing. The question is: can it create what wasn’t there before? Tangible things…like opportunity…or a great space to live in…or actual personal wealth.

If you are looking for evidence, here are 10 wealthy people who are logging the things they are grateful for. And it seems to be paying off — in a big way:


Oprah Winfrey — Net worth: $3.2 billion

Well-known, media mogul, award-winning television host, actress, and author Oprah Winfrey is one of the most influential people on the planet.

Well-known, media mogul, award-winning television host, actress, and author Oprah Winfrey is one of the most influential people on the planet.

In her article, What Oprah Knows for Sure About Gratitude, Winfrey writes: “For years I’ve been advocating the power and pleasure of being grateful. I kept a gratitude journal for a full decade without fail — and urged you all to do the same. Then life got busy. My schedule overwhelmed me. I still opened my journal some nights, but my ritual of writing down five things I was grateful for every day started slipping away.”

Winfrey recounts that when she let the demands of her career push out the practice, her joy started to wane. She shares, “Recently, in the process of building a television network, I got so focused on the difficulty of the climb that I lost sight of being grateful for simply having a mountain to climb. Only when I began feeling gratitude for the opportunity to serve a new audience in a new way did a shift happen. Viewers started saying the most amazing things — things that aligned exactly with my vision of what OWN can be.”


Tony Robbins — Net worth: $480 Million

Tony Robbins is a philanthropist, entrepreneur, and motivational speaker known for his seminars, and self-help books

Tony Robbins is a philanthropist, entrepreneur, and motivational speaker known for his seminars, and self-help books including Unlimited Power and Awaken the Giant Within.

Not only does Robbins have a personal gratitude practice, he also encourages others to do the same.

“I believe the ultimate path to enlightenment is the cultivation of gratitude. When you’re grateful, fear disappears. When you’re grateful, lack disappears. You feel a sense that life is uniquely blessed, but at the same time, you feel like you’re part of everything that exists and you know that you are not the source of it. In that state, you show up differently for the people around you.”


Cindy Crawford — Net worth: $100 million

Cindy Crawford is an internationally known American supermodel and actress.

Cindy Crawford is an internationally known American supermodel and actress. In an interview with New York Magazine’s The Cut, Crawford shared how a gratitude moment is part of her daily routine.

“I live in Malibu at the beach so the first thing I do is go out and get in the Jacuzzi. I look at the ocean as the sun is coming up and watch that every morning. That’s the time before anyone needs anything from me, so I can walk through my day and see where something might slip through the cracks. It’s also when I can have that gratitude moment. And when I get out I have a green tea.”


Kelsey Grammer — Net worth: $60 million

Kelsey Grammer is an actor, comedian, television producer, director, and writer, who is best known for his two-decade portrayal of character “Frasier Crane” on the sitcom Cheers and its spinoff, Frasier.

Kelsey Grammer is an actor, comedian, television producer, director, and writer, who is best known for his two-decade portrayal of character “Frasier Crane” on the sitcom Cheers and its spinoff, Frasier.

The talented star of screen and stage has suffered much hardship in his life, including the murder of his father and sister and a struggle with alcohol and drug addiction. Grammer shared with Vanity Fair, ” “Every one of us is going to experience some terrible loss. I just got a big dose. For every story you hear that’s tragic, there’s another that’s equally tragic or more so. I think you come to look at it as part of life.”

In a Time magazine article, Grammer told the interviewer “I hit my knees every day and express gratitude.”

Chris Pratt — Net worth, $40 million

Chris Pratt is an actor who moved from a supporting role in the sitcom Parks and Recreation to a blockbuster action hero with credits such as Guardians of the Galaxy and Jurassic World in addition to dramatic roles like Passengers.

Chris Pratt is an actor who moved from a supporting role in the sitcom Parks and Recreation to a blockbuster action hero with credits such as Guardians of the Galaxy and Jurassic World in addition to dramatic roles like Passengers.

Pratt is a devout Christian thanking Jesus at the 2017 Teen Choice Awards, and gratitude is part of his daily practice. 

“Usually before I eat a meal I’ll list the things for which I’m grateful,” Pratt once told Hollywood journalist Jeanne Wolf.


Willie Nelson — Net worth, $25 million

Willie Nelson is a legendary country music singer-songwriter, as well as an actor and activist.

Willie Nelson is a legendary country music singer-songwriter, as well as an actor and activist.

The critical and commercial success of the albums Shotgun Willie, Red Headed Stranger and Stardust, made Nelson one of the most recognized artists in country music.

Nelson has earned his net worth through his musical career, songwriting and his many roles in television and films, as well as the writing of his autobiography and other books.

Nelson is quoted as saying, “When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.”

"When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around." - Willie Nelson


Bob Proctor — Net worth, $20 million

Bob Proctor is a Canadian American author, entrepreneur, and motivational speaker

Bob Proctor is a Canadian American author, entrepreneur, and motivational speaker who has a net worth of $20 million. Proctor begins each day listing 10 things he is grateful for.

“Expressing gratitude instantly shifts your energy. It puts you in harmony with your source of supply so that the good in everything moves toward you.

Many people express gratitude first thing in the morning or before going to bed at night. Well, here’s another time to express it: whenever you feel overwhelmed with problems.

You see, if you have challenges in your life that are dominating your thinking — a shortage of money, a business problem, a relationship problem — you will have a tendency to focus on the problem. And by doing that, you add energy to the problem. And then the problem grows.

The next time things don’t seem to be going your way, just stop what you’re doing, and think about all of the things you have to be grateful for. I know that’s a pretty tall order, but if you do it, everything will start to shift in an instant. Just like snapping your fingers. When you change the way you look at the problems, the problems will change.”

“Expressing gratitude instantly shifts your energy. It puts you in harmony with your source of supply so that the good in everything moves toward you." @BobProctor


Eckhart Tolle — Net worth: $15 million

Eckhart Tolle is a spiritual leader and author

Eckhart Tolle is a spiritual leader and author who has a net worth of $15 million dollars.

“Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.”


Will Arnett — Net worth: $12 million)

Will Arnett is an actor and comedian known for his roles on Arrested Development and in popular movies such as Blades of Glory, Show Dogs, and plays Batman in the LEGO Movie franchise.

Will Arnett is an actor and comedian known for his roles on Arrested Development and in popular movies such as Blades of Glory, Show Dogs, and plays Batman in the LEGO Movie franchise.

“Every single morning, I write a gratuity list. I write down ten things I’m grateful for every day — and it always starts with my kids,” shares Arnett.

Dr. John Demartini — Net worth: $10 million

Dr. John Demartini is a researcher, educator, and public speaker. He is the author of The Gratitude Effect.

Dr. John Demartini is a researcher, educator, and public speaker. He is the author of The Gratitude Effect.

Martini writes, “Gratitude is the key that opens up the gateway of your heart that allows the untapped and inspiring potential of love to radiate out and cleanse your mind of any clouding uncertainties that could block you from living your most amazing and extraordinary life and dream. When you are grateful for what you have you get more to be grateful for. Your life is fulfilled to the degree of your gratitude.”

“Gratitude is the key that opens up the gateway of your heart that allows the untapped and inspiring potential of love to radiate out and cleanse your mind of any clouding uncertainties that could block you from living your most amazing and extraordinary life and dream. When you are grateful for what you have you get more to be grateful for.” John DeMartini

Research says, this doesn’t just work for people who are already wealthy. It can make you into someone who can create it.

Robert A. Emmons, PhD, the world’s leading scientific expert on gratitude

Robert A. Emmons, PhD, the world’s leading scientific expert on gratitude, is a professor of psychology at the University of California, Davis, and the founding editor-in-chief of The Journal of Positive Psychology.

Emmons scientific research in collaboration with Michael McCullough, PhD, psychologist at the University of Miami uncovered scientific proof that “when people regularly engage in the systematic cultivation of gratitude, they experience a variety of measurable benefits: psychological, physical, and interpersonal. The evidence on gratitude contradicts the widely held view that all people have a set-point of happiness that cannot be reset by any known means: in some cases, people have reported that gratitude led to transformative life changes.”

In his book, Thanks! How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier, Emmons writes:

“An implicit assumption that many of us hold is that happiness depends on happenings — by what happens in our lives. We believe that success in life — whether in the boardroom or the bedroom — makes people happier. “

“Yet a recent review of the scientific literature on happiness revealed that happiness yields numerous rewards for the individual and precedes these outcomes. This means that happiness makes good things happen. It actually promotes positive outcomes. The benefits of happiness include higher income and superior work outcomes (for example, greater productivity, higher quality of work, greater occupational attainment), larger social rewards (such as more satisfying and longer marriages, more friends, stronger social support, and richer social interactions), more activity, energy, and flow, and better physical health (for example, a bolstered immune system, lowered stress levels, and less pain), and even longer life.”

From living in a garage, to being rich.

Illustration of Jen Sincero, Author of You Are a Badass at Making Money

Jen Sincero, author of You Are A Badass at Making Money, shares her very personal story of moving from living paycheck-to-paycheck to having real wealth.

She writes, “I can speak with great experience because I know what it’s like to be broke, and I now know what it’s like to be rich,” she says.

“We’ve been raised to believe that if you work really hard, you’ll make a lot of money — and that’s true — but this mindset stuff will make the work that you do so much easier. It’s about working smarter, not harder. Gratitude is what builds up the emotional reservoir that helps you kick serious ass.”

What if you’ve been sitting on a hidden practice all along that could dramatically increase your personal wealth?

Some Of The Richest People Practice Gratitude

Could it really be as simple as pulling out a piece of paper each day to list what you are grateful for?

One thing is for sure, it doesn’t cost you a dime to try it and find out.


Want tips on how to journal? Get the free ebook on How to Journal with 28 ways to journal and hundreds of resources so you can find the method that is right for you.


If you liked this article, you may also like: The Skeptic’s Guide to Gratitude Journaling by Rosemary Bointon.

Or the community discussion on OutwitTrade: Why Is Gratitude Important For Recovery, Success, Mental Health And More?

About Cathy Hutchison

Cathy Hutchison helps people get more joy, meaning, and freedom in a world of demands through the practice of visual journaling.

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Cathy helps people banish overwhelm,
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and reconnect with their ♥️
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CathyHutchison | VisualJournal
Simple can be beautiful. A small doodled flower. A Simple can be beautiful. A small doodled flower. An underline of color. Your #bulletjournal can be as elaborate as you like, but our lives are complex. #Simplicity feels good.
#Sketchnotes help me manage my focus and stay enga #Sketchnotes help me manage my focus and stay engaged in meetings.
I love the A5 size journals because they can go ev I love the A5 size journals because they can go everywhere with me! #journaling #leuchtturm1917 #yourvisualjournal
This morning I received an email from @songdance.c This morning I received an email from @songdance.co with a link to a song. I had no idea how much I needed to hear these words. #journaling #yourvisualjournal #bulletjournal #artjournal #neocolor2
Making my inner 7 year old happy with sealing wax. Making my inner 7 year old happy with sealing wax. #journaling #stationery #artjournaling #sealingwax
I bought something that I wanted SO BAD when I was I bought something that I wanted SO BAD when I was seven years old. 

I realized that now that I'm a grown up I could just buy it. 

On Amazon. 

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I love learning about the authentic fascinations o I love learning about the authentic fascinations of the people in my world. The obscure hobbies they love. The ideas they just can't stop thinking about. The things they pour time (and money) into for no reason except that it gives them joy .

As you jump into 2023, I highly recommend purchasing a #notebook that you can take with you everywhere to feed this part of your life . Write down your inspirations. Capture ideas. Develop thoughts by reviewing them periodically. (And definitely scribble doodles in the margins--that's an important part.)

Engaging a #journaling practice--whatever that looks like for you--can give space for the quirky, beautiful, creative part of you to grow. And as it turns out, #visualthinking in a #journal is my personal, random fascination.

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I just did my 2022 annual review—a practice I le I just did my 2022 annual review—a practice I learned from @michalroots . 

As one part of this, I wrote the sentences that jumped out at me from my 2022 journals as I went page by page. It left me with a sense of what the year was about and gave me an appreciation for the incredible beauty of friends, creativity, inspiration, and big ideas. 

I also looked at my vision board to see what happened, and what didn’t. For the things that didn’t happen, I gave some heart time to figure out the level that I actually want them (and learned it was low.) The things that happened had a lot of desire behind them. (It was an interesting thing to observe.) 

If you want to take Michal’s course, DM him for the link. I found it a valuable process that I will continue going forward.
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Do you create a #visionboard each year? The latest Do you create a #visionboard each year? The latest post at YourVisualJournal.com dives into how to create one in your journal. #journaling #artjournaling
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Brush markers make my heart happy. #brushmarker #t Brush markers make my heart happy. #brushmarker #tombowdualbrushpens #bulletjournal #bujo #yourvisualjournal
Brush markers are easy to use, and putting a few d Brush markers are easy to use, and putting a few doodles at the bottom of your todo list makes it more engaging for your brain. This whole thing was quick to draw. (Mostly circles, a rectangle, and a few lines.) Coloring in with #brushmarkers was fast and easy. 

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Some links on this site are affiliate links and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. The author receives a  small (really small) commission if you happen to buy something.  Funds are used to support journaling supplies & four crazy sweet Aussies who bark for treats every time I come in the door. (To be fair, I have a pattern of giving in to them.) I write about all kinds of journaling, and if Bullet Journaling is your thing, I’m here to support you. But if you want to go deep, go to the original source–Ryder Carroll, who created the system, and started it all at bulletjournal.com. I use the method daily which is why I started writing about it here.
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