Do you think the less we expect, the more grateful we will feel if/when something good happens?

How do you handle being grateful if no gratitude is due? Wouldn't digging to find something to be grateful for be sort of pretentious? I'm not trying to be negative, but I do have a particular situation I'm thinking about and this does apply. I've tried finding something of graditudinal (made up word, again) value in the situation, but can't. Just can't! Need more practice, right?