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Motivation Monday: Gratitude
Hey everyone!
Since we celebrate Thanksgiving this week in the United States, I wanted to talk about gratitude for today’s Motivation Monday topic. I know those “five things I’m grateful for” lists are super cheesy, but nonetheless I think it’s important to recognize the things in our lives that bring us joy. As this article in Psychology Today points out, there are scientific facts that illustrate the benefits of showing gratitude.
All of us in this community have plenty of bad days, but at the same time, it would be pretty pointless to dwell on those bad days. Living with SMA is hard and messy and confusing, but there’s still so much in life that makes it worth it.
I know I’m grateful for many things: my family, friends, faith, job, passions, health, and for communities like this that I’m a part of. When I do face bad days, these are the things that help me to keep going. I also want to thank you all for being a part of this community, and for bringing your unique perspectives to discussions here. Even when I fail to respond to every comment and post, know that I’m grateful for all of you.
What are the things you all are thankful for? How do you express gratitude during both good and bad times?
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2 Replies
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Yes!! I actually wrote about this in my most recent column. Living with the everyday complexities that SMA brings can make practicing gratitude challenging at times. My advice: gratitude is a choice, so it’s okay if you haven’t felt any reason to be grateful today. You can always choose to try again tomorrow. No pressure!
Here are 5 things I’m grateful for today…
1. Coffee 🙂
2. My doctor squeezing me into an appointment this morning because I still don’t feel well
3. The ability to work from home
4. Avocado butter because it makes me feel like I’m eating healthy AND gaining weight. Win-win
5. My PCAs who help foster a sense of independence from my parents
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I have trouble showing gratitude and feeling it most times, but that doesn’t mean I’m not grateful. I get overwhelming bursts of gratitude at 2:30 AM when I’m laying in bed thinking while everyone else is asleep. I’m grateful for silly things like Marvel, Sebastian Stan, Bring Me The Horizon (my favorite band), flavored ChapStick, etc. but I’m also extremely grateful for my moms, my bro, my in-home nurse, this community, and the fact that I’m still alive despite SMA and all the other diseases I have.
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