My Gratitude Experiment

As the winter months approach, we will feel more or less the way we did at the start of the pandemic: isolated. Meeting friends safely, going out to restaurants and not freezing will be difficult. On Halloween, I met some friends and was freezing my face off; I didn't want to meet them like this. Looks like it's video calls from here on out. Again. We might feel lonely so, in light of this new development, I want to remind myself that there is so much to be grateful for. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I will conduct an experiment and write about three things I am grateful for, every day for the entire month of November. I am also doing a *November No-Buy* and a pretty lengthy YouTube ban. I know I know; it's a lot, but what other entertainment do I have? I'll also take this opportunity to share more photos of nature with you :D

↑ This was my intro before I found out who won the election. I am relieved. I have no words for how much optimism and hope I feel. When I think of all the conflicts this country faces, I have hope. That's something new! I literally SOBBED throughout the victory speeches on Saturday night. I can't tell you how much it means to me that a Black and Indian woman (from the same region of India as my family, I mean what are the odds!) will be the vice president of the United States of America. Black, South Asian women like me, and women everywhere are finally represented in office! It means more than anything.

I couldn't publish this post without sharing my absolute happiness by the results of the election. And now back to the show!

I won't share too much about the results once I finish the experiment because we all know how this will end. Anyone who prioritizes gratitude and is conscious of the riches they possess will feel whole. The opposite is never true! 

-The Experiment-

I debated whether to do a digital or handwritten journal, but ultimately decided to go the handwritten route because physically writing my entries feels deliberate and centering. It's also wAY better for my eyes (imagine, doing both classes and gratitude entries in the same place!).

I actually did something like this my senior year of high school for psychology class and thoroughly enjoyed it. The whole year sucked a little less, haha. But seriously! There were so many instances of taking what I had for granted. Even though horrible things have happened, there is so much I do have. Think of all the times I walked a couple steps to the sink, moved the faucet ever so slightly, and received top-quality water in my glass within seconds... and I did nothing to deserve that water. Some people walk miles to obtain water and its quality is under threat. I don't want to turn a blind eye to others' unimaginable hardships. None of us do.

Everything is quiet when I write about what I'm grateful for. And whatever I write about can be as big or small as I want. I guess it depends on my mood: one day I might be grateful for... sharpies! and the next I'm grateful Wendy, my cat, aka my best friend :). The experiment is going well; I am present, aware, and positive (and I've been working on positivity for YEARS). In turn, I am conscious about what other people don't have. I'm grateful for my grandparents' health, FaceTime, my right to vote, the roof over my head, and more to come!

Here's a sample from my journal written while taking refuge in the woods after Election Day :P I modified it a little because the original contains A LOT of excessive language...

November 4, 2020 Today I am grateful for the sunlight that shines on the leaves. First of all, it's great for photos. Secondly, and most importantly, it gives the most feel-good feeling. This sort of sunlight feels good on my face. My skin doesn't melt off. It feels good. I'm sitting in the nature near the park, which I am also grateful for, and feel grounded. The sun is shining on the fallen leaves, the moss, and on my eyelashes. It shines on the tree trunks, the branches, and the soil. I could sit like this for hours, except I can't because the sun sets at 4:30 now! I am grateful for this feeling, this feeling of peace and stillness that the evening sunlight, this sunlight that shines on the leaves, gives me during this time that provokes chaos in my mind...

So why am I telling you this? Well we're pretty much in the same situation we were in when Coronavirus came to the US. Plus we endured a very stressful election. Things aren't too hot right now (apart from the election results); literally, it's getting colder where I am and COVID cases are increasing. But I want to remind us all that there is still so much in this world to be grateful for. We are not alone. I strongly encourage you to do something like this. Be in touch with your gratitude! Please, please, please don't feel like you have to write like me. Do you, boo 😉Even if you don't want to be grateful, write. You'll feel better. Think of your gratitude journal as a therapist of sorts, for positivity. If you can't think of anything to do this winter, do this. Simply acknowledging your surrounds can be a form of gratitude, too.

This week's Healthy Habit: Complete a gratitude entry: write about three things you are grateful for at least once this week. The gratitude version of Meatless Monday, so to speak. 

Have a great week everybody!

P.S. Who else is pumped for the holidays?! I can't wait for this blog-i-day season! I already started planning holiday content! Can't you tell how excited I am by how many exclamation points I'm using?!!!