This is from The Dish today:
Jeffrey Froh, a professor of psychology at Hofstra University, did a study in which he asked a group of middle-schoolers to keep “gratitude journals” for two weeks. The kids wrote down a few things they were grateful for every day. A second group of kids wrote down the day’s petty annoyances, and a third group did neither. The students who were made to think about what they had to be grateful for experienced a surge in optimism and a decrease in negative feelings.
This is why I give thanks for 3 random things from my days nearly every night before I go to sleep: it makes me feel better and helps me live my life with more grace and forgiveness.
Some of the things that I am grateful for this year include:
1. Meaningful and interesting work that is helping to make the world a better place as well as helping my clients.
2. Truly being seen and honored by my family and friends, who love me unconditionally.
3. Being a "big brother" to a special young man (and an artist) since 1997. Jase is now 20 and the most lovely person inside and out.
4. A spiritual practice and community that is very much part of my daily life and way of being.
5. Being healthy, ache- and injury-free, and pretty much capable of doing anything physical. And for the health of my friends and family...we all are still here.
6. My home and garden, refugees from my full and energetic days. And trips this year to Palm Springs, LA, New Mexico, Sun Valley, Las Vegas, Portland, Ashland, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, DC, Gettysburg, Virginia, and Ptown.
7. Political leadership and change: I can say that I truly respect my president, my governor (Jerry Brown), and my mayor (Ed Lee). All good men who are leading during difficult and divisive times.
8. Being a LGBT activist who is working with thousands of others and watching the world change around me...for the better. We are winning in this movement for love. While not every battle, we are winning 90% of the time. DADT is gone; more and more companies, churches and government are recognizing our rights; we are winning the battle to condemn and censure anti-gay bullying in schools; LGBT people are part of the most popular TV shows and media and are accurately depicted; we have a president who has done more for our movement than all other presidents combined; and I am watching gay people all across the world stand up for themselves and their love.
9. Having this blog -- to agitate for/against, reflect on, make change happen, express outrage, remind myself of love, debate, express my feelings, connect with others, and stand up for myself and community.
10. You! The 30-50 visitors who come to this site everyday and witness my life, passions, and interests. And some who share their thoughts and ideas with me. With a deep bow, thank you.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
XO Joe
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