Gratitude Schmatitude
At some of our darkest moments, we might find ourselves hovering over what is most precious and saying “thank you” more than ever.
I’m digging back through my years of wellness practices to revive an oldie but a goodie: a gratitude practice. It feels like finding a vintage 2012 Lululemon jacket and realizing it still gives my curves the right squeeze.
Why gratitude? Well…I need it and it works. It can feel a bit cheesy but Google it, there’s a lot of science behind it. Gratitude is a superfood for the psyche, a sling shot aimed at despair, and an offering to the gods (or whoever might still be checking voicemail up there).
I’m doing this because I need to:
Commit to something that gets me out of downward spirals
Figure out Substack and post something daily
Build community
Practicing gratitude is not about blind optimism or toxic positivity. Actually, I’ve never felt more gratitude, personally and collectively, as I did after Hurricane Helene. As we know, the worst situations can bring out the best in us. At some of our darkest moments, we might find ourselves hovering over what is most precious and saying “thank you” more than ever.
I know that the issues we face are larger than self-help efforts might be able to solve, but gratitude is a good reminder that our perspective is malleable. This is a small daily reminder of how to make magic when the world is in desperate need of some sparkle.
Want to play along? Join me if:
You want to do a wellness thing that has nothing to do with exercise or eating.
You want something free, easy, and quick.
You need a mental health boost.
You want to connect into something positive.
Here’s the plan:
Every day between January 15 and February 15, I will write five things that I am thankful for on this thread. (I’m already figuring out this Substack thing!)
You can play along by writing five things every day that you are grateful for: big, tiny, simple, poetic, redundant… whatever. Just five things every day. Use an analog journal or open another document, but it will be more fun if we were all posting on the same thread.
I’ve gotten a head start. I’m already beating all of you at gratitude.
I really love this. I've been doing this practice for the last year and while I can't speak to what it's *done for* me, I can 100% say that I have come to rely on and enjoy it as part of my morning mindfulness and journaling practice. Today's five things were: 1. a specific friendship with someone I've known for 40 years, 2. a warm and loving home, 3. the team helping my film reach her audience (we launch in less than a month!), 4. my grandmother! although she passed in 2018, I had the good fortune to have this strong female role model as long as I did. Her picture is on my altar 5. the way time shifted when I saw my friend yesterday, flipping into that thing we used to have when we were young and had fewer responsibilities and time with friends could be everything in a day.
I'm a day late getting started, but oh, well.
Also, when I click the link to your thread, Substack tells me you haven't started a thread, even though I can clearly see your thread. So I'm not sure what's going on there. [Edited to add … maybe the Thread is set for pain subscribers only?]
It would definitely be more fun to have all the gratitudes all in the same place, though!
1. Coffee
2. Waking up early AND well-rested
3. My new budgeting spreadsheet
4. The much younger friend who helped me create my new budgeting spreadsheet
5. The willingness, at my age (73), to learn from others (like my friend ^^^)