This is a story of the lessons gratitude journaling taught me. Context matters. I started this journaling because I was going through a depressive time. I had experienced actual depression before and I didn't want to again and so, I decided to start gratitude journaling. Gratitude was inaccessible to me. I couldn't both feel that everything sucked and find space for appreciation. I met myself where I was at and chose to just journal about what didn't suck. I journaling about

If you're willing to ask about something, that's demonstrating bravery. Usually when we are afraid of something, we want nothing to do with it. We just decide it's threatening and that's it. We get avoidant, rather than inquisitive.

I think about the parallels between journaling and meditation often. I think of meditation as spending time between thoughts, non-judgement of thoughts and feelings, respect of what's happening internally without fighting or arguing with it. That usually looks like sitting quietly, eyes closed, being harmonious, watching thoughts go by. But, that's what I do when I journal, no singing bowl, buckwheat cushion, or "ohms" needed. What mindfulness demonstrates is exactly what my