Your Gratitude Determines Your Latitude!✨
How to practice gratitude year-round.
Happy Wednesday and happy belated Pete Davidson’s birthday, my Dearest Twenty-Somethings! I hope everyone’s hanging in there. I want to thank everyone for letting me take last week off! My father was the only person who asked about the newsletter. There’s been a lot going on, so I do appreciate your patience. For you all, I’m eternally grateful!
This week’s newsletter is all about practicing gratitude. Happy Thanksgiving, I hope everyone’s feeling the love!
Okay, so the original quote is “your attitude determines your latitude,” but I feel like this still works. Gratitude is an attitude, after all!
While I hope you’re able to spend time with family this time of year, it’s important we practice gratitude year-round. In fact, research shows that gratitude is key to happiness. Shame and vulnerability researcher and author Brené Brown’s studies on resilience found that in 11,000 pieces of data, joy was inextricably linked to gratitude in happy individuals (if you’re a self-help lover, read her book Gifts of Imperfection!). So whether it’s about focusing on the little things, or finding optimism when you’re feeling low—we’ve all got something to gain from showing true thankfulness.
I asked, and here’s a summary of my best tips, your best tips, and those I found on the world wide web for practicing gratitude daily. Thank you all always!
I keep a journal and whenever I write, I add a gratitude list to the end of my entry. I try to make the list as specific to that day or period of time as possible. Yes, I could write that I’m grateful for my health—but boiling it down helps make it more tangible for me. Instead, I’ll write that I’m grateful for chia seeds, or the crisp walk I took this morning. Instead of saying I’m grateful for my family, I’ll write about a recent phone call with my sister or an interaction that touched me. This is also great because it’s more than just a gratitude list: It’s a record of the small things in my life that have made me smile.
I write three things I’m grateful for every morning and every evening in my gratitude journal. It’s a beautiful practice that reminds me how good life really is!
I meditate on what I’m grateful for before I go to bed. Sometimes I’ll just think about them, but I’ll also use YouTube meditations on gratitude when I need a little inspo.
I write down all of the fun things I do every week that I’d otherwise forget—like going to see a comedy show or grabbing coffee with an old friend. It’s nice to look back and remember all the fun I have, especially when I’m feeling down.
I journal and for the last three years have texted a daily gratitude to my aunt. It helps me be grateful even on hard days and keeps her in the loop on my life! (She doesn't have any kids of her own.) She sends me one as well.
Practice gratitude rituals. Some people say grace before a meal, or say a gratitude prayer before bed.
I’ll often try to think about all of the things I take for granted that so many people don’t have—food, shelter, a loving family, a home—and it really puts things into perspective.
Get in the habit of telling someone you love how much you appreciate them every single day.
I like to watch inspiring videos that remind me of the good in the world, especially while our globe and society are falling apart.
I try to include an act of kindness in my life each day.
I do my best to avoid negative media, social media, and movies with violent or negative content.
Add to your gratitude list daily, at least one more thing each day.
Tell others what you’re thankful for—it might just inspire them to do the same.
Well, if that didn’t get me in the thankful mood! I hope you’re all able to take these tips and practice gratitude to the best of your abilities. Let me know how it worked out for you here.
While I have you here, I wanted to remind you that I’ll be taking the month of December off from the newsletter for a chance to enjoy the holidays, spend some time with the family, and get a little break in. Until then, I’d love to know what you’d like to read about in upcoming 2022 newsletters. Tell me your ideas here!
Happy Thanksgiving, merry Christmas, happy Kwanzaa, happy New Year, happy Hannukkah, and a happy Spotify Wrapped season, too! In case you were wondering, I’ve been listening to my fall playlist, which you can find here. With that, here are a few picks to get you through the week, the month, the year:
LISTEN:
READ:
The Cut: “A Free Month of BetterHelp Can’t Fix This” - I mean, yikes. This is a great look into the controversial partnership between Travis Scott and BetterHelp, a virtual mental health services company.
The New York Times: “How to Buy Nothing New This Holiday Gifting Season” - Honestly, kind of love this!
Insider: “Ariana Grande Defended Pete Davidson Against 'Butthole Eyes’” - Just thought I’d bring back this cultural artifact… Kim!
LAUGH:
FOLLOW:
Vinegar Mami - Okay yes, this is me! You knew I can’t go a day without vinegar, right? I created a new account for all of my close-up shots, scenery pics, and daily postings of the things that amuse me.
OSH Thoughts - Lots of quotes and graphics and good energy.
Rachael Day Art - More trippy art and spiritual affirmations! What’s not to like?
CONSIDER:
“Grown-Up” by Edna St. Vincent Millay
Was it for this I uttered prayers,
And sobbed and cursed and kicked the stairs,
That now, domestic as a plate,
I should retire at half-past eight?
Affirmation of the week: I gratefully receive the lessons that each experience brings.
Question of the week: What are you most grateful for in this life?
Thank you all for reading this week’s newsletter! I’m always looking to improve my work, so leave a comment, send me a message, or fill out this form to tell me about what you want to read about in upcoming Dear Twenty-Somethings! I’m all ears. Connect with me on Twitter, LinkedIn, Goodreads or online if you feel so inclined. And check out last week’s newsletter here in case you missed it.
If you liked what you read, send this newsletter to a friend! Heck, send it to 10 friends! For that, I would be incredibly grateful. 😉 Sending love and light to you, wherever you are. 🌟
Cheers & happy Wednesday! Stay well and I’ll talk to you in 2022.
xoxoxo, Quinnie <3