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Gratitude Grounded Me
Restarting my practice of writing gratitude lists
Gratitude grounded me.
That was the declaration I made in my Medium story “What If It’s Hard to Stay Positive?”
I recently decided to start writing gratitude lists again to lift my mood and optimism whenever I felt low or discouraged. I’ve kept gratitude journals in the past, including during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
In 2023, I wrote about how gratitude positively impacted my life in “The Things I’m Grateful For.” I can’t recall when or why I stopped but rereading that story reminded me of one line at the article’s end: “It felt wonderful to take a moment to acknowledge my blessings.” That sentence was enough motivation to restart the practice.
The old me would’ve waited until January 1st to begin. I would’ve purchased a new notebook to track my progress. I have various journals for specific projects like fiction manuscripts and a documentary film, so it would make perfect sense to have one for gratitude.
One Thursday evening after arriving home from a playwriting workshop, I wrote my first new gratitude list in two years. As I lay in bed, I recalled my daily events. I enjoyed the time spent better in reflection than surfing the Internet or doomscrolling on my cell phone.