💫 Welcome to The November Challenge!

Gratitude! But like you've never done it before

A GIFT TO YOU, DEAR READER!

In my Glow Getter community, the paid journaling community here on Substack, we have monthly challenges to reflect on our lives, go deeper, and MAKE FRIENDS! To show my gratitude to YOU, dearest reader, I’ll be sending out previews of what my Glow Getters get on Sundays to EVERYONE. Join us this month and see if we can’t increase your gratitude! 

And now, onto the newsletter… 

WELCOME TO THE GRATITUDE CHALLENGE. 

I love gratitude. And gratitude journaling in particular. But it didn’t start out that way! ​​To me, “gratitude” was always a word I associated with Hallmark cards and those stones you can buy in hospital gift shops with words like, “Hope,” and “Love” etched into them. Something soft and nice for other people but far too “woo” for me. Added to which, there were SO MANY THINGS, for SO LONG, that had been deeply wrong in my life, what in the f*ck did I have to be grateful for?! But I gave it a try anyways, and just like journaling, I immediately started to feel better about my life. 

I started by quickly listing the SMALLEST things I was grateful for: espresso, clean sheets, water. But I rapidly saw that these “small” things were actually pretty profound. Water for example, how was that not something to be hugely grateful for? I realized there was a lot in my life I was taking for granted.

It turns out I’m not alone. Many of us, dare I say, most of us, are conditioned to look at what we lack, due to our own negativity bias, an evolutionary adaptation that has hardwired most of us to look for what’s wrong, rather than savor what’s right. PLUS, by the time we are twenty-one the average adult will have seen one million TV commercials indoctrinating us to believe that what we have low-key sucks and needs to be replaced, and that our lives would be MUCH better if only we had more. Is it any wonder so many of us judge the world by what we lack, not by what we have?

Fifteen years of grateful journaling has fundamentally counteracted and blown past my negativity bias because the sheer practice and repetition of seeing the world not through what I lack, but through what I already have, and what is already serving me, has shifted my mindset not only to be more open and positive, but more real. Because if you’re just looking at what you don’t have, then I’m so sorry kiddo, but you’re just not seeing the full picture of your life.

Now, if you’re anything like me, the days leading up to the election can make this newfound grateful mindset a little… harder to maintain. There’s this strange energy in the air, like we’re all holding our breath, waiting to see what comes next. Honestly, I feel a little DOOM AND GLOOM. So here’s what I’m reminding myself:

• The world isn’t just a swirl of doom and gloom

• There have been, much, MUCH, much worse times than these

• Dark times have pretty much always led to better times

• I have people who love me and who I love deeply (YOU included)

• At least half of the country will be with me if my choice for president doesn’t win

I am grateful that I can vote. I am grateful to be born a woman now when I have the most rights than women have *ever* had. I am not a fortune teller and I don’t know, perhaps this election will serve as a bigger awakening? This is not to say there are not problems - OH WOW am I not saying that. It’s a both and situation.

Today, this minute, right now, we live in a country where our voices can be heard and where our votes matter. I am not going to waste that precious, beautiful gift, worried about the future. To do that would be an act of ingratitude. And I don’t want to be accused of that, do you?

T$ Stamp of Approval:

• SNL’s Bridesmaid Speech Sketch - not only is Ego Nwodim a friend of mine, this SONG has been stuck in my head for the last week. 

  • AND HERE’S MY TAKE ON IT! 

• It also reminded me of my New Yorker article from WAY BACK WHEN “Tips for Emily’s Low-Key Destination Bachelorette! PLEASE READ”

Glow Getter of The Week: 

Every week I feature one member of “The Glow Getters” my paid, “inner-circle” community. Think of it as my tree house! Readers get journal prompts, supportability groups, and much more! 

Let’s meet our Glow Getter, Raksha.

How did you find A Little Thing That Helps?

I read your books (I think I stumbled upon it at the library), and when I started writing on Substack, I started looking for authors I've enjoyed.

What is your favorite part about being a Glow Getter?

I enjoy the honesty of the conversations about Things That Matter.

Testimonials:

Your wins, trials, tribulations, and thoughts. It’s all welcome here. I would love to hear what resonates with you from this week’s newsletter, and what didn’t!

“Your book has gotten through to me in a way nothing has in my 33 years on this planet. I am amazed at your journey, so happy for how far you have come, and immensely grateful for you to share your story with anyone who cares to really listen. In fact, I plan on buying at least 15 more copies to share with those (especially women) who are remotely akin to friends.” - Michelle 

Preview of This Week’s Glow Getters:

In the spirit of gratitude, we are opening up our Glow Getter journal prompts to ALL SUBSCRIBERS this month. You’ll be able to start (or continue) on your journaling practice and see how much you can grow in a month. See you on Sunday!