It Couldn't Hurt

Re: Why is Taylor Sirard Grateful? 

Welcome to the second installment of:

I have heard experts (and amateurs) in various fields state that gratitude is key to a life well lived. The sentiment has been echoed in religious, wellness, psychological, and esoteric practices. Now, even researchers such as Brené Brown, have found that gratitude is an important component of a healthy mind.

Having benefitted from this practice myself, I know that it can be helpful. Since mental health needs to be my priority right now, I want to share this practice with you. As stated in the Foundation post, which explains the content of this blog, "I created this [blog] to document my journey, both through the outside world and within myself."

So, thank you for bearing with me, and coming along for travels more internal than usual. That is the first thing I am grateful for, among the list of other things I will share below.

I am grateful for...

1. The tiny buds that have expanded into leaves over the past few weeks.
2. The mute feature on Instagram.
3. The time I learned why not to empty myself for love.
4. Getting paid every Friday, because my jobs are on opposite bi-weekly payroll schedules.
5. Thrift stores.
6. My backpack, which has gone everywhere with me since I lived out of it in Thailand. 
7. The Marquette Makers' Project.
8. Podcasts, and a job that allows me to listen to so many.
9. The presence of addiction and recovery in my life from a young age.
10. My local farmer's market.
11. LAKE SUPERIOR.
12. This game called "We're Not Really Strangers."
13. YouTube.
14. My local library.
15. The regulars at my bar.
16. Getting paid to make things, write things, take care of plants, and have conversations.
17. Being held while healing deep traumas.
18. The first stretch of every morning.
19. Living in a farm-rich community.
20. How yoga can always support me, no matter how long it has been.
21. James Blake's new album, Assume Form.
22. Frank Ocean's TIMELESS album, Blonde.
23. People who remind me of my worth.
24. Anyone who has ever made me a meal.
25. Hoods—the sweatshirt kind.
26. The real maple syrup stocked at both of my jobs.
27. Devices that allow you to connect to speakers through Wi-Fi instead of Bluetooth.
28. Nitro brewed beer
29. The yahoo email address I still hold onto, so I don't feel like Google has taken over my entire life.
30. This free blog platform I use from the Google apps!
31. Sound and my working vocal cords. 
32. My recent epiphany that every part of me is sacred.

I can't honestly say that making this list shifted how I feel in a substantial way. It certainly boosted my mood, but a good mood is too temporary to equate mental stability. I suppose practicing gratitude is a two-part equation.

Thinking of things I am grateful for is just one part. Practicing that gratitude implies regularity and consistency. I don't tend to prioritize regularity or consistency, but I think I could make an exception for gratitude. 

I heard once that setting up gratitude signifiers helps make gratitude habitual. For example, one decides that every time they open a door they think of something they are grateful for. As my job requires me to dash quickly in and out of doors, this signifier would be mentally exhausting to me. Maybe, instead, I will choose a color as my signifier. Purple seems like a good fit, not overwhelmingly present or too rare. When I see something purple, I will think of something I am grateful for. I'll let you know how it goes.

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I'd like to share just a few more things I am grateful for. To you, for reading this and allowing me the space to find ease in this work. To my patrons for supporting me even when my posts are late. To everyone who is getting a postcard from me, I am excited to write to you all! If you'd like a postcard from me, hop on over to the WITS Patreon by June 4th! Thank you to everyone who shares this blog and WITS social media posts. You can find the WITS Facebook and Instagram links all the way at the bottom of this page. Until next time!