This week: Gratitude Edited by: Jeff  
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"Only a real risk tests the reality of a belief."
— C.S. Lewis
About The Editor: Greetings! My name is Jeff and I'm one of your regular editors for the official Spiritual Newsletter! I've been a member of Writing.com since 2003, and have edited more than 400 newsletters across the site during that time. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me via email or the handy feedback field at the bottom of this newsletter! 
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Gratitude
With everything that's going on in the world, it's easy to be unhappy with or even resentful of your place in it. We might experience jealousy when our friends or neighbors have a more successful career than we do, or that someone else has found love while we're still trying to find Mr. or Ms. Right. We could resent the good fortune of a person who won the lottery, or experience FOMO (fear of missing out) when we see people we follow on social media posting about an amazing vacation they just took. In a world with so much abundance, it's not difficult to only see the things you don't have, and to let that get to you.
A lot of resources in the self-help, psychology, and spirituality spaces advocate for having some kind of gratitude practice, but what does that actually mean? And how are we supposed to be grateful all the time if life really sucks right now?
Gratitude practices are, in essence, mostly just a matter of taking time to focus on the things you do have that you're grateful for. The practice can be as regimented or casual as you like, but the overall idea is that you spend intentional time focusing on the good things in your life. Most of us usually have at least something positive going on in our lives at any given time. Even if you're in a rough spot professionally speaking, you might have family or friends that you enjoy spending time with and can lean into those happy times. If you're experiencing financial hardship, you might still have good health. Multiple studies have shown that, even in dire circumstances (and often especially in dire circumstances), spending some time intentionally focusing appreciating what you do have can result in a significant positive impact.
There are undoubtedly people who will read this editorial and think, "That may be fine for most people, but I don't have a single thing to be grateful for. Everything is awful, and I'm miserable." But those are often people who need a gratitude practice the most; who most need to spend time intentionally cultivating areas in their life that they have an appreciation for. The important thing to remember is that gratitude practices don't have to be about "keeping score" or measuring the size of the things you're grateful for... it's a practice to get you in the mindset of choosing to focus on the good over the bad. If - and especially when - times are tough and there's more bad than good, focusing on the good becomes more important than ever. For those who find the Bible instructive, the Book of Job is a remarkable story of the power of faith and gratitude in the direst of life circumstances.
If you don't already have a gratitude practice, this is the perfect time of year to start one. 
Until next time,
Jeff
If you're interested in checking out my work:
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This month's official Writing.com writing contest is:
I also encourage you to check out the following items:
EXCERPT: was born with nerve deafness. As a result, I know when someone is speaking, but I can’t always tell what they’re saying. I miss certain sounds and sometimes what people are saying sounds like a foreign language to me. There are also certain sounds I can’t hear. One of them is an alarm clock.
EXCERPT: As someone who is profoundly motivated and inspired by purpose and creativity, I have often found myself contemplating the deeper questions and meaning of life. When you look at the vastness of the universe, the intricate complexities of nature, or the marvels of the human body, one cannot help but ponder, who am I?
EXCERPT: I am game for getting back into my writing journey. I can write a poem or story a day and a few reviews God willing. It all seems to hinge on a crazy dream I had last night. Sometimes dreams give hope and this one sure did.
EXCERPT: Didn’t we argue long into the night with Sartre’s half blind wisdom, or the hidden arrogance of Camus’ modest tales?
We did. Such existentialists as we were when we were still young enough for it.
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Feedback from "Spiritual Newsletter (October 30, 2024)" about spiritual formation:
I enjoyed and agreed with the sentiment of the Letter from the Editor. Thanks for the newsfeed prompt; I will add a comment on it soon. You provided solid information on spiritual formation and a wide range of topics that will be broad enough to reach all who are interested in developing and strengthening their spiritual life. God Bless!
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Spiritual: November 27, 2024 Issue [#12866]
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