32 | 🤲🏻 Gratitude (and expressing more of it)
Hello and happy Tuesday to you (is that a thing?)
Short but sweet today.
And don't worry! This isn't me preaching about why we all should be grateful.
What it is, though, is a reminder to myself that being grateful is a conscious choice.
Expressing gratitude is commonly cited as one of the best ways to truly achieve happiness.
After all, it's a great way to refocus on what you have, vs the things you don't have.
Gratitude comes in many shapes and forms.
It boils down to taking a moment to reflect on the things we’re thankful for in life, and everything that's great about it.
Here's what I have:
I'm alive.
I'm healthy.
I'm happy.
Billions of people aren't.
I actually think that saying those 5 lines every morning would be an excellent way to ground myself and be more grateful.
Steven Bartlett has an interesting take on gratitude:
Comparing oneself upwards is a surefire way to be unhappy.
As the cliche goes:
Comparison is the thief of joy.
There's plenty of ways to express gratitude:
Before going to sleep, tell your significant other 3 things you're grateful for (accountability)
Write them down in a diary (reflection)
Share how you're grateful today on social media (e.g. Thank GOD for a blue sky today)
Tell the person who has made you feel grateful how you feel (thanks)
Everything I write in this email I fully believe in. And this is no different!
Mills and I go through phases where we try and share a few things we're grateful about before going to bed.
Even during bad moods, after difficult days or through very tired eyes.
It's always worth it, so I will definitely be trying to do more of this again.
For what it's worth, I have tried writing them down before bed and that worked well when I made time for it.
One final thing. I saw a tip online that said to try and not repeat the same things too many times.
The idea is that, instead of reflecting on what you are or were grateful for, you notice things immediately and express gratitude straight away.
Oh look, it's stopped raining 🤩
The thing I've been waiting to buy has just gone on sale 😄
The train arrived straight away this morning 👊🏻
What are you grateful for today?
Thanks 😎
If you found this interesting and useful, feel free to subscribe. I send emails like this every Tuesday - see you next week 👍🏼
Photo of the week 📸
How am I 1% better this week? 📈
I'm about to sign up to swimming lessons after basically accepting that I'm a rubbish swimmer for the last 10 years.
This Week’s Recommendation 🔝
Earbuds 📺 - Airpods Pro
I love fancy tech at the best of times - but these really are that good. I had the standard Airpods for about 6 months, and have had the Pro version for the last 6 months. They are better in every way - sound, build quality, fit, everything. Big recommendation from me if you've been thinking about getting them - I'm sure they will be on sale ahead of Black Friday.
This Week I’m: ⬇️
Reading 📚 - Good Vibes, Good Life - Vex King. A fair bit of mumbo jumbo in this, but the remaining 75% is brill.
Listening to 🎧 - The Diary of a CEO - Ep106 w/ Jimmy Carr - truly superb.
Trying 💪🏻 - I just started taking creatine, which is linked to a higher rate of muscle growth and strength gains. Now I'm in a great routine at the gym, I might as well try and get the very best out of the time I spend there.
Planning 🩸 - On giving blood shortly (huge decrease in donor over Christmas period)
Working on 🧥 - A minimalist wardrobe
Looking forward to 🍽 - The onslaught of food over the next 6 weeks!
This Week’s Quote 💬
You do not have to come up with a brilliant life design by yourself. Design is a collaborative process, and many of the best ideas are going to come from other people. You just need to ask. And know the right questions to ask.*
— Bill Burnett and Dave Evans - Designing Your Life
*One of the key tenets of 'thinking out loud' - i.e. me writing this newsletter. Sharing things with others, so that they share things back.
Question 🤔
I’ve already asked this, but here it is again…
What are you grateful for?
There we have it!
Looking forward to catching up next week.
In the meantime, find me on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube, and have a look at what I’m reading on Goodreads. Ciao!