Deep gratitude
Ellipses… Issue 46
Ellipses… a small, special character. Used by writers to slow down, create a pause, and indicate thinking.
In the name of working to swap perfectionism for self-compassion, especially in the climate of the world and the difficulty of the holiday season, I’m writing to you when there’s not much going for me. I have no celebrations to share, no real words of wisdom this week. I have no tips or tricks. I have only my recent observations.
⚫️ Practicing deep gratitude 🪶
I’ve had a gratitude practice for a few years now. I try to write down in my digital planner or my variety of notebooks at least 3 things that I’m grateful for every day. Some days, I’m full of joy and are able to pick out 3 unique things; other days I go to the defaults just to get the task over with.
I can’t take credit for this idea, but my therapist recommended practicing deep gratitude. A close follower of Cal Newport, author of Deep Work and proponent of helping others live a deep life, my ears perked up immediately at the suggestion.
Therapist: “By going into the details of what you’re grateful for, you’ll gain a deeper practice, which can positively influence your levels of self-compassion.”
Me: “I need all these things. I will start tonight.”
I wrote about the comfort of chairs. The pitch of my kids’ laughter. The warmth of hugs. I went so far as to journal about my gratitude for the almost impossibly bright red leaves littering my lawn from one of our trees (not the amount of work it’d take me to clean up said leaves).
Deep gratitude struck a chord with me and changed my thinking.
On an all-too-common 4am walk with Erma the dog over the weekend, I believe my deeper gratitude practice helped me swap my default victim mindset to one of awe and love.
The pitch blackness of the very early morning and the piercing 30-degree weather shocked my system, but shortly after we started our walk, I noticed that the grass sparkled under the streetlights. I ended up thoroughly enjoying my 4am, 30º walk with Erma, feeling as if the neighbors’ yards were dusted with glitter overnight just for me.
May you be able to find your own lawn glitter this week.
⚫️ 1 link (ok, 3): YOU GOT THIS 🖐️
I made a thing. It’s the high five with YOU GOT THIS hand lettered on it. I made it for myself, because I need the reminder quite often lately.
Need some reassurance or want to spread positivity? Grab your own or get a mirrored version for your personal enjoyment (and strange looks from others). Or grab a sticker—glitter version coming soon.
Be safe and well,
🖤 Jenny