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Ever notice how your perfectly good phone suddenly feels outdated after a new release? Or how scrolling through social media leaves your life feeling small? That's not an accident—it's by design. Our entire economic system thrives on your perpetual dissatisfaction.

In this rebellious exploration of gratitude, we challenge the "more culture" that dominates our lives—more followers, more hustle, more abs, more everything. Research from the National Bureau of Economic Research confirms what we've suspected: consumers spend more when feeling inadequate. But what if contentment could be your most powerful act of resistance?

Gratitude isn't settling—it's savouring. Studies show people who practice gratitude are 50% less likely to engage in impulse shopping and 30% less likely to compare themselves on social media. It literally rewires your brain to value what you have over what you lack. Think of it as installing an adblock in your mind against every ad, influencer, and algorithm trying to convince you that happiness lies in the next purchase.

Ready to join the rebellion? Try unplugging from the "more machine" one day a week. Start a gratitude journal focusing on three things you appreciate that cost nothing. Ask yourself these powerful questions: What do I already have that I've been undervaluing? Where have I fallen into the trap of believing I need more to be happy? What would one week of genuine contentment look like in my life?

Share this episode with someone who needs to remember they are already enough. Because the ultimate flex isn't having more—it's recognising when you have enough.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:18):
Welcome to an edition of GW Unspoken where we discuss
stuff we don't typically talkabout but probably should, and
we're here talking aboutgratitude, season 9, episode 7.
Ooh, controversial one.
This time we're talking aboutgratitude as rebellion, and that
means choosing contentment in aculture of more.
You know, because we are in aworld constantly telling you to
do more, have more, be more.

(00:39):
Well, choosing to be content,that's actually a radical act in
itself, and here's the problem.
Here's the problem with society, with everyone, regardless of
how old you are.
We are addicted to more.
We live in a more culture, morefollowers, more hustle, more
side gigs, more ab definition,maybe even more digital detoxes.

(00:59):
More, more, more, more, more.
Our entire economic system isbuilt on the idea that you're a
permanently dissatisfiedconsumer and you're never enough
, and neither is what you haveEver notice how, after every new
phone release, your perfectlygood concurrent phone suddenly
feels slow and outdated, or how,after a few hours on social

(01:21):
media, your whole life feelswell, probably small.
And that's not an accident,it's actually by design.
There's now research from theNational Bureau of Economic
Research that shows thatconsumers are more likely to
spend money when they feelinadequate or left behind, which
means an entire economy isbetting on you, never, ever

(01:43):
feeling content, and here's whythis matters.
Gratitude is actually a systemdisruptor.
It breaks the cycle of want,buy, discard and repeat.
It forces you to pause andactually notice what you already
have.
In fact, a 2022 study in thejournal of positive psychology

(02:04):
found that people who regularlypractice gratitude were 50% less
likely to engage in impulseshopping and 30% less likely to
compare themselves to others onsocial media.
There's a big one for you teensout there Gratitude literally
rewires your brain to value whatyou have over what you lack,
and that's like installing an adblock in your mind.

(02:26):
It's actually the secretingredient, as Tim Bono says, to
happiness.
It helps you tune out theconstant noise of not enough and
focus on what's already hereand you know what.
Here's where it gets a bitspicy.
A lot of people here be contentand think, hey, that must mean
I have to settle.
They think it's the same asgiving up or being lazy or

(02:46):
lacking ambition.
But let me say this veryclearly Gratitude is not about
settling.
It's actually about savoring.
You can be grateful for yourprogress and still want more.
You can appreciate what youhave and still set bigger goals.
You can feel blessed and stillhave a burning desire to grow.
Gratitude isn't the end of theroad.
It's actually the fuel for thejourney.

(03:07):
And let's be honest, thejourney is often the thing that
actually makes us excited oncewe get to the end result.
And if you want a little cheekyperspective, think of it this
way Gratitude is like a giantmiddle finger to every ad
influencer and algorithm, tryingto convince you that you need
the latest thing to be happy.
It's the ultimate unsubscribe.

(03:28):
So next time you see an ad forthe newest smartwatch that
tracks your hydration levels andtexts your mum when you're
stressed, just remember youdon't have to buy the upgrade to
be an upgrade yourself.
You're already enough, evenwith your old, slightly cracked
potato quality phone.
So how do you make this a dailypractice?
Look, here's the plan.

(03:48):
Number one try unplugging fromthe noise.
Spend one day a week free fromthe more machine.
No online shopping, nocomparison scrolling, no wish
list.
Just you, your actual life andyour current reality.
Number two celebrate what youhave.
Every time you feel the urge toupgrade, upsize or overhaul,
stop and ask yourself do Ialready have what I need?

(04:11):
Am I really lacking or justbeing told I am?
And number three keep agratitude rebellion journal.
I love the journals.
When you write stuff down, itgets it out of your mind Every
day.
Write down three things, threethings you're grateful for.
That cost nothing.
Pen and paper, not text, notnote section.
Actually write down.
You'll be surprised how quicklythis rewires your mind to see

(04:34):
abundance where others see lack.
So look, we talked aboutjournal prompt there, but here's
three more for your journalthat we do every single week.
Again, a strong suggestion.
It's been proven.
You write things down, havegoals, things get achieved.
Here's number one.
Again, strongly encourage youto write these down.
Number one what's one thing Ialready have as in you that
you've been overlooking orundervaluing.

(04:54):
So give it the credit itactually deserves.
Number two where in your lifehave you fallen into the trap of
believing hey, I need more tobe happy?
Is it status?
Is it wealth?
Is it physical appearance?
Is it fitting in?
What is it?
And number three what would yourlife look like if you genuinely

(05:15):
were content with what you hadjust for one week?
What would it look like?
How would that change your mood, your choices, your
relationship, maybe even yourfinance?
Because remember, even peoplewho buy online shopping to buy
things to make themselves feelbetter.
It's a double dopamine.
It's a double carrot.
To get hooked, exciting toscroll through what you want,

(05:36):
suddenly purchasing it.
That's a dopamine, and adopamine waiting for it to
arrive on your door.
What would it look like if youwere just content for one week?
All right, that's episode seven.
We've got one to go andremember.
Contentment isn't complacency,it's a quiet, rebellious refusal
to be a pawn in the endlessgame of more.
And look, if this episode hithome for you, share it with

(05:56):
someone who needs to rememberthat they are already enough,
because the ultimate flex isn'tmore, it's actually enough.
And I'm gary woodford.
This is gw, unspoken, where wediscuss the truth even when it's
convenient, or should I sayinconvenient.
Catch you next week.