Quite simply, this made me so happy to see you found a tool to help you blunt the depression and find joy and gratitude in little moments. After all our lives are not complete works of art but an accumulation of little threads that produce a tapestry to which we add until our last breath. The jots are BEAUTIFUL!! Sometimes the incremental little things are what actually produces the cumulative large change in our lives. WONDERFUL!!
I could not agree more. I love that even after shitty days, I can find a silver thread or two that ensures there’s a glimmer of beauty in that corner of the tapestry.
“Pleasures that might have been fleeting became permanent. Their glow lasted longer.” — I loved this line. And it’s such a good point
“We should all shudder under the weight of the good in our lives as I did in December.” — This was very well said!
A really interesting piece, Michael. I haven’t experimented with writing down small dot points of things I’m grateful for or that bestowed some joy that day, but I do regularly say a sort prayer/give thanks/acknowledge what I’m grateful for — each day before I sit down to write. I started doing this sometime in 2023 and I found that most of the time it lifted my mood before I wrote, which felt incredibly powerful. But I’m actually quite intrigued to try your method. So thank you for sharing.
Also, I was flattered to see you jotted down feeling inspired after reading my piece on writing and skating. :)
Yes, your name appears several times. Dare I say your pieces and comments always added something positive enough to my life that I was still thinking about it the next day.
I used to be a prayer person as well—I did it around the time I brushed my teeth so that it would become a habit. I do think the permanence of this was an asset; I’m a skilled self-deceiver when I’m down, and I can find darkness on the sunniest days. But what I can’t twist are my literal words about moments that made me feel happy in the world.
I’d love it if nobody needed documented evidence of their recent joys, but I know it helps me, so I’m in haha.
I appreciate the kind words, as always. I hope it’s been a great start to 2025 for you as well!
Quite simply, this made me so happy to see you found a tool to help you blunt the depression and find joy and gratitude in little moments. After all our lives are not complete works of art but an accumulation of little threads that produce a tapestry to which we add until our last breath. The jots are BEAUTIFUL!! Sometimes the incremental little things are what actually produces the cumulative large change in our lives. WONDERFUL!!
I could not agree more. I love that even after shitty days, I can find a silver thread or two that ensures there’s a glimmer of beauty in that corner of the tapestry.
“Pleasures that might have been fleeting became permanent. Their glow lasted longer.” — I loved this line. And it’s such a good point
“We should all shudder under the weight of the good in our lives as I did in December.” — This was very well said!
A really interesting piece, Michael. I haven’t experimented with writing down small dot points of things I’m grateful for or that bestowed some joy that day, but I do regularly say a sort prayer/give thanks/acknowledge what I’m grateful for — each day before I sit down to write. I started doing this sometime in 2023 and I found that most of the time it lifted my mood before I wrote, which felt incredibly powerful. But I’m actually quite intrigued to try your method. So thank you for sharing.
Also, I was flattered to see you jotted down feeling inspired after reading my piece on writing and skating. :)
Yes, your name appears several times. Dare I say your pieces and comments always added something positive enough to my life that I was still thinking about it the next day.
I used to be a prayer person as well—I did it around the time I brushed my teeth so that it would become a habit. I do think the permanence of this was an asset; I’m a skilled self-deceiver when I’m down, and I can find darkness on the sunniest days. But what I can’t twist are my literal words about moments that made me feel happy in the world.
I’d love it if nobody needed documented evidence of their recent joys, but I know it helps me, so I’m in haha.
I appreciate the kind words, as always. I hope it’s been a great start to 2025 for you as well!
Wow thanks Michael. That’s means a lot.
And yes, definitely. I think having the words down on paper is a powerful thing. :)