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“I know I need to be grateful but some days I just don’t think there is anything to be grateful about”⁣

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“When life is good, I have all the gratitude in the world. But when it’s crap, it’s hard to see the light.⁣

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Gratitude is easy when life is easy⁣

Practicing gratitude, being grateful, giving thanks…this is what all the happiness experts tell us to do.⁣

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It’s easy to notice the good things in life when everything is going smoothly.⁣

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It’s like imagine you’re at a white person’s Thanksgiving dinner and everyone around the table starts going in a circle, saying what they’re thankful for. It’s your turn but you can’t think of anything so you just come up with something generic.⁣

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“I’m grateful for my family.”⁣

“I’m thankful for my health.”⁣

“I’m grateful for this food.”⁣

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It’s so easy to default to one thing, person or place.⁣

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But when you keep saying the same thing, practicing gratitude becomes a mindless act and you start taking for granted whatever or whoever you’re grateful for.⁣

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I needed a format, a formula, some structure, a cue…something to remind me to practice gratitude as a habit while forcing me to think beyond the few token things.⁣