100 - Gratitude for the small things
How starting with gratitude can cause things to shift
A few years ago, my friend Toru introduced me to the concept of the gratitude jar. Every time something good happened, she'd jot it down on a little note, toss it into a jar, and review them all at the end of the year. Naturally, I thought, Wow, that’s a cool idea—I should totally do this!
But there was one problem: I never found a suitable jar. (Apparently, "suitable" means a jar you actually buy and not just think about buying.) Life happened, and the idea faded into the background...until I realized I could skip the jar entirely and integrate gratitude into my existing habits.
Enter: my daily journal. I already journal every day (because apparently, I enjoy writing long, emotional monologues to myself), so I decided to start each entry with “Today I am grateful for…” And just like that, a new habit was born.
At first, it felt like a small thing—just jotting down one moment of gratitude a day. But over time, this little ritual created a ripple effect that has changed how I see life.
Even on my worst days, I’m forced to find at least one thing to be thankful for. It might be something simple like “I didn’t get caught in the rain today” or “ I dropped my phone and It didn’t get stolen or run over by a car—miracles do exist because I would have cried buckets if either had happened”. These moments remind me that even when life feels like it’s spiraling, it could always be worse.
The best part? Gratitude has a way of snowballing. For example, last week I went salsa dancing and if you know me, you know dancing is my happiest happy thing. I started that day’s entry by being thankful for salsa dancing, which led me to reflect on other blessings: good health, working joints, access to a dance space, and the fun community I’ve found through dance. By the end, I felt really content.
A significant ripple effect of gratitude journaling is how it has simplified my decision-making process and made me more intentional. Now that I can very easily identify the things that fill me up (and those that drain me), I’m able to channel my resources appropriately. I’m much quicker to say yes or no to things, based on how they’re likely to make me feel.
An unexpected perk of journaling is revisiting old entries. Sometimes I’ll come across something I was worried about months ago and realize I can’t even remember why it felt like such a big deal at the time, or I’ll recall how things eventually worked out just fine. It’s a comforting reminder that most of the stuff I lose sleep over is temporary. Life goes on—until it doesn’t—so maybe I should worry less and enjoy the ride more.
Recently, I read
The Silva Mind Control Method by Jose Silva. I stumbled across it in a random comment section online, where someone claimed it had changed their life. Naturally, I was intrigued and decided to see what all the fuss was about.
This is definitely one of those books that requires an open mind. There’s a whole section about using the power of the mind to heal yourself (and others) and bits that sound suspiciously like astral projection. The book makes some very ambitious claims about what can be achieved through mind control. I came across an online review that made me laugh out loud but also summed it up perfectly: “Half guided meditation, half magical thinking. Half useful, half utter nonsense.”
My personal takeaway? Practices like meditation are more likely to improve your overall cognition—so it doesn’t surprise me that regular meditators might have sharper memories or better focus. I’m still not sure how that translates to healing powers or the other extraordinary claims in the book. That said, I do believe that if someone has enough faith in something, it could work for them—so I’m only a little sceptical of the testimonials shared in the book.
Recently, I listened to
An episode of Dare to Lead where Brené Brown interviewed Dr. Joy Buolamwini as part of a series on Artificial Intelligence. I hadn’t heard of Dr. Joy before, but within minutes, I was completely smitten. Her energy is so infectious and vibrant, plus she’s a poet, artist, and scientist and there’s nothing I love more than cool women doing cool things.
In the episode, she talked about her work raising awareness of and combating the inherent biases in AI. I love hearing people talk passionately about the amazing things they’re doing, and Dr. Joy’s dedication to changing the world in small but hugely significant ways really resonated with me. This episode was such a joy (pun intended) to listen to.
Newsletter Milestone: #100! 🎉
Can we take a moment to celebrate the fact that this is newsletter number 100? Triple digits! I’m giving myself a well-deserved pat on the back for sticking with it. After a brief hiatus to focus on my exams, it feels so good to be writing again. Now I’m in that awkward limbo of waiting for my results—equal parts nerve-wracking and character-building— but I’m staying in the spirit of my gratitude practice and doing my best not to overthink it.
Speaking of spirits, I’m officially in Christmas mode! My flat is slowly transforming into a festive wonderland. No tree this year, though. Instead, I’m going for “minimalist” vibes (lies, I have a wreath on every door) by lighting my already existing house plants.
Thanks for sticking with me through 100 newsletters. Here’s wishing you a lifetime of recognizing and being grateful for the abundance that surrounds you.
Chioma.
P.s: Random Instagram post my friend shared with me while I was writing this that tied in perfectly.
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Cheers to 100 posts!