It’s been the big ol’ buzzword for how many years now? Make a gratitude list, keep a gratitude journal, express gratitude in everything you do, Gratitude clothes, accessories, stickers, tattoos, journals….you name it, someone has made money off it.

Sounding cynical, I know. It’s not that, it’s more that writing a gratitude journal can help you see more of the little things in life, but contrary to what gratitude is sold as, it won’t change your life. Not in the big ways that hold us back. It’s the same with the Law of Attraction; yeah, think positive thoughts, but that isn’t going to change your crappy situation at work, you know? Your positive thoughts aren’t going to make that CEO give his multi-million dollar bonus to the workers, now is it?

I don’t like over-simplification in that way. If all it took to ‘succeed’ in life was a grateful heart and positive thoughts, I’d have a thriving business, helping people and animals all over the world. But I don’t. Because the mechanics of running a business are something I have a hard time wrapping my brain around. Period. A positive thought or “I’m grateful for” isn’t going to replace understanding SEO and being content-driven, niching down, etc. It just won’t.

And why would anyone have the gall to tell another person that happy thoughts will change your poverty, the way the world treats you because of the color of your skin or your religion…and even worse, that if you don’t have those happy thoughts and that grateful heart, it’s all your bloody fault that things are wrong. What???

I’m not knocking anyone who truly believes in the power of gratitude, not at all. I’m just of the mind that it’s not a panacea for the ills of the world.

Wow, this post did not go in the direction I thought it was. Hunh.

As a matter of fact, I’m taking a week off Twitter because I’m just swimming in anger and fear and worry, and it’s really affecting my outlook and mental health. It’s hard to stay positive when the disconnect between the reality of what is going on is so far from too many people acting as if everything is ‘normal’.

On that note, my gratitude list for this prompt is this:

1: I am beyond thankful to have the privilege to stay home during this apocalypse. I planned ahead and that planning is serving me well.

2: I am grateful that there are people in my world who understand the severity of what is going on, so that I don’t feel like I’m beating my head against the wall when I’m super stressed about new information and numbers.

3: I am grateful that years ago I began feeding birds in the yard, because their daily presence (especially the crows all winter and the roadrunners year-round) give me something amazing and curious to watch and learn from. It helps take my head of out of the black hole it can slide into.

4: I’m grateful my mom asked my sister and I, when the pandemic began, to keep in contact via email daily. Our family has a tendency to be distant (it’s a generational thing, not sure why), and this has brought us closer. It also allows my sister and I to keep tabs on Mom. None of us are getting any younger, that’s for sure.

5: Most of all, I’m glad that everyone I know is ok. So far we’ve only lost one person to COVID complications, and considering my son lives in one of the hardest hit states and he stands alone in mask-wearing and being vaccinated among his coworkers, he is healthy at this very moment, and so is his family. I pray to whatever is out there that this continues; that last little bit of rubber band that’s holding me together would snap in a moment if any of them got sick.

And that, my dears, is my prompt post for January 10.

Much love,

Pip 🌻✨

PS: I will NOT argue any point concerning the pandemic, so please don’t jump into my comments to start something. Ain’t happening.

PPS: I may be off Twitter for the week, but I am still doing distance sessions (I will ALWAYS be doing distance sessions, til I’m old and gray…er).

Be safe out there, everyone. Please.

©Pip Miller – January 2022