5 Little Blessings: How to Choose Gratitude
Art Direction and Photograph by: Catie Menke. Model: Tishana Richards.
Copy by: Hailey Forbis
Model: Tishana Richards
Editor: Jeni Fjelstad
Creative Direction: Catie Menke
In those situations, one thing I always try to remember is to take a few deep breaths and count at least five things to be grateful for. There really is so much to be grateful for, even if it’s something as small as your favorite snack or something bigger like friends, family, your pet, or a significant other. Life has so many beautiful things, and taking time to be grateful and acknowledge all that this life offers us makes those hard days a little less hard.
I remember I was at the darkest point in my life, and I felt so lost and alone and kept finding every negative I could about the situation. I had COVID-19. I was all alone in quarantine, was in an unfamiliar place, missed out on fun events and my heart was still broken from a recent break-up. I just couldn’t seem to get out of that funk, and I found myself crying on the floor every night. But then I took a moment to take a few deep breaths and reassess the situation and count five things I was grateful for. I was grateful for family and friends, I was grateful I had shelter, I was grateful for the movie I was watching, I was grateful to be alive, and I was grateful for the Ben and Jerry’s Cookie Dough Ice Cream I was slowly eating. I didn’t immediately feel better, but it did give me hope and a little glimmer of light and happiness in my heart. I didn’t realize at the time how important gratitude is and how being grateful for even the little things instead of being upset at the world makes a world of difference.
Since that moment in my life, I’ve made an extra effort to create a gratitude journal in which every day I write five things I was grateful for in the day even if it was the worst day ever. There’s a quote I love, and it says, “Every day may not be good, but there’s something good in every day.” That is true on so many occasions, and I’ve found myself thinking of the things I’m grateful for without even trying. Life won’t always be sunshine and daisies, but taking some time to think of what you are grateful for makes so much of a difference. Changing your mindset to see the good and remember what there is to be grateful for isn’t always the easiest thing, in fact, it’s probably one of the more challenging things, but it is possible. You have the power to choose how you react to a situation and you have the power to acknowledge what you’re grateful for and flip that switch in your brain.
Choosing to be grateful for things is also a choice. Even if things keep hitting you left and right or you’re sad from a breakup, give yourself a day to be sad, but then pick yourself up and choose to see the good — and choose to look for things to be grateful for. Looking for the little glimmers of happiness in life makes all the difference, especially if life is especially hard. Always remember, though, that this time, this trial will soon pass, it’s not forever!
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