“When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” Wayne Dyer
Some days, gratitude feels like a stretch. You wake up tired, the coffee’s cold, the inbox is loud, and your brain refuses to play the “list three things you’re grateful for” game. That’s when I lean on one simple question: discover what’s not wrong.
What Does “What’s Not Wrong?” Mean?
It’s a grounding question. Instead of forcing gratitude, you ask your brain to scan for the things that are steady, working, or simply not falling apart. It interrupts the spiral and brings you back to enough.
Why This Question Works
When you ask “what’s not wrong,” you shift your attention from scarcity to stability. You start noticing the basics you normally step over: a roof, a paycheck, a friend’s text, heat in the car, a working body. These aren’t small things; they’re the quiet proof that your life is holding you up even when the day feels heavy.
I’ve used this question in hundreds of programs across manufacturing, construction, healthcare, and beyond. It’s always the one people remember. Maybe because it’s honest. It meets you where you are instead of where you “should” be.
How to Discover What’s Not Wrong on Hard Days
When gratitude feels impossible, try this instead:
- Pause for ten seconds.
- Ask, “What’s not wrong right now?”
- Let your brain answer with the first simple truth it finds.
- Breathe into that truth before you move on.
It’s not toxic positivity. It’s maintenance. It’s the the mental version of tightening a loose bolt before it becomes a safety issue.
Teams can use this question too. When a workplace is going through a stressful season, huddles become more grounded when people discover what’s not wrong in their process, communication, or momentum. It’s amazing how quickly the room shifts when people see they still have solid ground beneath them.
What You Discover When You Ask “What’s Not Wrong?”
Here’s the funny thing about this question: the more you sit with it, the more your brain starts bringing everyday victories to the surface. And most of them aren’t dramatic. They’re the small, sturdy pieces of your life that hold you up without asking for applause.
Maybe it’s the coworker who always says good morning.
Maybe it’s the fact that your car started.
Maybe it’s your team showing up even when morale is shaky.
These aren’t “Instagram gratitude list” moments. They’re the backbone of real life.
When leaders, especially in manufacturing, healthcare, construction, and the trades, start their day by asking this question, it changes how they walk the floor. You start noticing people again. You start acknowledging effort rather than just spotting mistakes.
That’s the beginning of retention. Not pizza parties. Not posters. Presence.
When you discover what’s not wrong, you give your brain a moment of calm and clarity. You come back online. You get perspective. And when you lead from that place, your people feel it.
This is why gratitude is a strategy, not fluff. It’s a practical tool that keeps you grounded, clear, and human — especially when the day is trying to take you somewhere else.
A Question for You
So… what’s not wrong in your world this week?
Write it down. Say it out loud. Share it with someone. You might be surprised how right things start to look.
PS: One thing that’s not wrong: the editors at Global Authority Magazine fixed my article. If you’d like to read it, here’s the updated version: https://global-authority.com/magazine-fall-2025/
PSS: If you want more practical gratitude tools for your team, check out my keynote programs.
