I’m going to jump right in here, because if I sit here pondering the “right” thing to say in these unprecedented times, I won’t write a word.
Among the ways I’m coping with the coronavirus crisis, besides binge-watching all the cooking + food & wine related shows on Netflix and eating all the Ben & Jerry’s Vanilla Caramel Fudge ice cream, is making a daily gratitude list.
I’ve had a gratitude practice for years, so this isn’t anything new.
But earlier this week when I took a peek in my journal, I noticed it’s been a long stretch since I did this. So I grabbed a pen immediately and started making a gratitude list, coronavirus edition.
Because if ever there was a time when we need to focus on the good stuff, it’s now.
My plan is to add to it each day we’re on lockdown / quarantined / sequestered. I want to look back on these times, and know that despite the often scary AF situation and prognosis, there were plenty of good things, from the large to the teeny tiny, from the seemingly insignificant to the momentous, to be grateful for.
Here’s my list so far, after 3 days.
(To be clear, I would be grateful for everything on this list in “normal” times, but these are things I find especially comforting during the coronavirus upheaval.)
:: I am so very grateful for my Copywriter Underground family, and all ways I feel supported and understood in that wonderful group.
:: I am grateful for all the podcasts, FB Lives, webinars, and blogs I have access to during this time, both to entertain myself, and to learn from.
:: I am grateful for current client projects in these niches / industries that are keeping me busy, engaged, and on purpose with my work: real estate; transportation; tech; photography; and healthcare. (Proof that even if you specialize in a thing, as I do, you can still easily get clients in other fields if you so desire.)
:: I am grateful for all the free, valuable resources being shared about surviving and thriving during these challenging times.
:: I am grateful for texts from friends, checking on me.
:: I am grateful for long “phone dates” with friends who live far away. A recent conversation lasted for 3.5 hours. That’s the way we do it. 😊
:: I am deeply grateful for the Amanda Frances resources I have access to, including one of her paid bundles (and her free content too, which is plentiful and of high value). It’s no exaggeration to say that, of all the mindset work I’ve done on my own and that I’ve paid for over the years, Amanda’s stuff has been the most effective.
:: I am grateful that I have enough food and toilet paper to last for … hmm, about one week, I reckon. (Not ideal, I guess, but better than the alternative – having nothing.)
:: I am grateful for being able to watch every Stefon (from SNL) segment ever on YouTube
:: I am grateful for the beautiful new place I just moved into. Sure, most of my furniture is still in storage four hours away, but I have my bed and my desk, and that’s fine for now. 😊
:: My gosh, am I ever grateful for Netflix!! I’ve been binge-watching even more than usual. Right now, I’m finding cooking + food & wine shows oddly comforting. Here’s what I’ve binged (and loved) over the last few weeks: Ugly Delicious; Cooked; Chef’s Table; Somebody Feed Phil; Salt Fat Acid Heat (for the second time); Street Food; Restaurants on the Edge; and Taco Chronicles.
:: I am grateful I already know how to run my copywriting & marketing business online, and that I’m used to, and totally cool with, working from home.
03.27.20 Update
:: I’m grateful for a few recent things that made me laugh, such as:
-This absolutely hilarious video of a furloughed sports commentator covering scenes from everyday life.
-This overheard conversation in my local grocery store a few days ago:
Cashier to woman, probably somewhere in her late 70s / early 80s: “Just so you know, we’re open every morning between 6:00 – 7:00 am, just for seniors.”
Older woman: “Honey, there ain’t nothing I need bad enough to get to the grocery at 6:00 am for.” 😊
:: I’m grateful for four client project deadlines this week that kept me so busy every single day that I didn’t have much, if any, time to think about any end of days scenarios.
:: I am grateful for the birds singing outside my window this morning.
:: I’m grateful for my new issue of Oprah Magazine, and all the reading joy it will provide.
:: I am grateful for the opportunity to Facetime with my BFF yesterday.
:: I am grateful that Whole Foods FINALLY had bananas this morning when I did my grocery shopping. Hallelujah!
:: I am grateful for the Emergency Money Workshop presented by the delightful Ash Ambirge of The Middle Finger Project earlier today.
:: I am grateful for the opportunity to read this interview with Kenny Rogers in Texas Monthly this morning (from a few years ago). It was a balm for the soul, I tell you!
:: I am grateful for this amazing list of coronavirus resources I received in my email inbox this morning from HerMoney.com.
:: And finally today, I am grateful for this FAQ on Stimulus Checks, Unemployment and the Coronavirus from the New York Times. Very helpful.
I’ll continue to add to this list as the days (weeks? months?) pass.
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