The Girl in Gucci Glasses

I recently had a rough day, and truthfully it was probably one of the worst I had in a long time. I was fresh on the heels of witnessing a traumatic event, I was enduring two toxic situations, and just overwhelmed. Basically, I was not in the mood for any nonsense.

Usually I can brush it off. But this was one of those times where I knew I needed to remove myself from the situation.

So I left my environment of the moment and headed home.

Once I settled in and took a breather, a wise source reached out and offered not only an ear, but a prompt:

What are 6 things you’re grateful for?

It took me a minute.

But I was ready. And after some contemplation, I put pen to paper.

• I’m grateful for a full tank of gas. These days I’m seeing people get $5 or $10 worth of gas, and I know they’re doing the best they can, considering inflation and rising gas prices. I’m grateful I’m in a position to be able to afford the $50 it now takes to fill my Civic, even if it sucks.
• My family. Are we perfect? Absolutely not. But did we all love each other the best we could? Yes. My mentioning work has shown me first hand how many people come from unloving and unsupportive environments.
• Growth, and the blessing to still be growing and learning.
• My heart. I leave people better than I found them. I will never regret how I taught anyone.
• Health insurance. While I find the American healthcare system to be an absolute scam, I am still grateful to be a part of said scam. Without it, I wouldn’t be able to see my hematologist or neurologist.
• People who support me. I have a tight group of friends, and a supportive family. And then there are strangers that support me continuously as well. Whether it’s someone supporting my blog, podcast, philanthropic causes, or design work — it brings me gratitude to know people love and support me.

When we practice gratitude, we center ourselves and realize our problems aren’t so big. Our souls are so much prettier when they’re grateful for what they have, instead of complaining about what they don’t.

If you can’t learn to appreciate what you have, you will never be happy. This is something I’m learning still to this day. Younger me wanted a nice car, fancy apartment, cool job and everything under the sun. I got nearly everything, but because I kept going, I was focused on goals and attaining these things…but never actually being grateful.

Once I began to consistently practice gratitude for what I had, life seemed a little less daunting.

There is power in shifting your perspective.

What are you grateful for?