Why gratitude sometimes needs an infusion of something else

Whenever I’m asked about the changes I’ve made with my outlook on life, I often go back to the same thing: Gratitude.

I honestly believe that it’s played a huge role in my life and in the way my mental health has improved over the years.

That being said, sometimes even the practice of gratitude needs to be shaken, stirred and spiked with something more powerful.

So when I was putting together one of the bonuses for my upcoming Write to Heal course, I knew I wanted to do a pack of prompts that were gratitude themed…with a twist. I ended up really loving some of the prompts and realized that this is part of what’s missing for those who have tried gratitude practices before and failed. Because #realtalk, how many times have we all written down the same 3–5 things we’re thankful for? I’m no exception.

My husband and my cats are routinely on my list. But there’s more to gratitude than that, my friends. So here are a few of the prompts and my responses IRL.

What is one small thing that you’re thankful for this year that you’ve never given gratitude to before? Why is it the first time you’re aware that it’s something to be thankful for?

Anyone who knows me knows that I’m kind of a humbug. I loathe snow (and yes, I know, it does look pretty when it’s fresh and white and sparkly) and I’m not a decorations-Hallmark movies-ornaments-Black Friday shopper kind of person. I don’t get “into” Christmas the way most people do. (Halloween is more my jam).

My husband and I also travel for Christmas and have 8 animals. You try keeping decorations in one piece with that many critters. If we were to put up a large real tree, this is what our house would look like in five minutes:

So the hassle of putting up decorations or a tree and all of that has always sounded so exhausting. So we haven’t done it.

We didn’t even have a Christmas tree until last year. And that’s only because it was a helluva deal on a last-minute shopping trip and we thought, “ah, why not?”

So imagine my surprise when I walked down my stairs and saw this:

See, there’s a cat already scoping out the best way to search and destroy.

Also, imagine my surprise when I thought, “Huh. I don’t actually hate that up there. In fact, it’s… dare I say… pretty?”

In the subsequent days, I’ve found myself going downstairs for “reasons” but I think it’s really for that view. Why, all of a sudden, does a Christmas tree and a fireplace make me feel the feels?

As I thought about the prompt and my feels, I think I realized that it’s not necessarily the tree or the fireplace that I’m thankful for. It’s the sense of feeling at home that I’m thankful for. This will be the first holiday in our new house and I have to admit that only now am I starting to feel like it’s ours.

In conclusion, I extend my gratitude to our small but mighty Christmas tree and the fireplace that finally makes me feel like I am home.

What’s one thing in your life that really just sucks? Now, can you find anything about it that may be a positive? Even a tiny speck of good in the situation? Write about it.

As I’m writing this post, three of my colleagues are in Vancouver at a conference that I was supposed to be at. They are experiencing the sights, sounds and smells of a new city. They’re meeting fantastic new people. They’re gaining more education from well-respected instructors.

And I’m here at home. By choice. And that makes the situation suckier because how can I be upset when I was the one who made the call not to go? Granted, the decision was a very hard one and I made it for very good reasons, but I’m just gonna say… it sucks.

But… as I sit here writing this, I can see there are positives waiting to be acknowledged. Like the fact that our oldest dog was knocking on death’s door a few days before I was scheduled to leave. I was terrified of the outcome. If we lost her while I was gone, I’m not sure I could forgive myself. So she’s part of the reason I stayed. And you know what? I spent some quality time with her and the best part… she’s going to be fine. Regardless, the choice I made to stay behind was made out of love and I have to say that no matter how much it sucks that I’m not there — I’m grateful that she’s still in my life. That I’m able to wrap my arms around her and tell her I love her.

If you’re interested in these kinds of journaling prompts or would like to know more information about establishing your own expressive writing/journaling practice, you can find more information by signing up for my interest list.