Taking our next steps

Hello,

This week's newsletter will have a different format than usual. I will begin by sharing a bit more about myself and from there we will dive into gratitude techniques that I use daily. Techniques you can vote on for our next campaign.

First, let me introduce myself. I'm Gavin, the writer of the Unbound Gratitude Newsletter and below is a bit about me and a few events that have shaped me.

Let’s start from the beginning. I entered this world on a Sunday morning at 3:15am with serious complications. At the time, the immediate issues seemed to have been effectively managed. Over the following months, they seemed all but resolved.

But after my second birthday, I still hadn't started walking. My parents knew something was wrong. They took me to see my doctor who, after conducting various tests, diagnosed me with spastic diplegia cerebral palsy. In this type of CP, muscle stiffness is mainly in the legs, with the arms less affected or not affected at all.

Over the next 13 years, I can only describe what I went through as ‘character building.’ In all honesty, it wasn’t pleasant. It was painful. Every five years, the doctors operated on my legs to keep me walking. Every five years, I had to learn how to walk all over again. One foot in front of the other.

Looking back now, I remember those days with great fondness. Why? Because today, I can walk.

I am so eternally grateful for what those doctors did to keep me upright. And, let’s not forget the bravery my parents showed, letting those doctors at me for so many years. For them, again, I am truly grateful.

It is the above events that has sparked my interest in gratitude and what immense power it has. It reminds me how living in the present and being thankful for today is the most satisfying sense of being. Through acknowledging and learning from the mistakes of the past, and simultaneously embracing the endless possibilities of the future, I am able to create a clear and focused state of mind for the task at hand.

It’s hard though, right? Trying to live in the present while acknowledging the past and the future.

I get it. My mind too, wanders often. And my brain produces protective negative thoughts to keep me safe and warm. It’s the brain's job after all.

To help with my protective wandering brain, I, on a daily basis, use the below techniques to help bring me back to a place of present gratitude.

I journal daily. I review my done list with a sense of satisfaction. I enjoy social media by manipulating the algorithm to get the right content served to me. And last, I love delving into a world of creativity and wellness.

So, I'm asking you, what issue are you currently facing that the following can assist in resolving or easing? Which campaign has the greatest potential to work well for you?

If nothing above is of value to you, but you have a burning question, reply to this email and give me your thoughts. You don’t have to make it a full length formal introduction, you can just reply with a single sentence telling me the burning question or problem you have.

That’s all for this today’s newsletter. I am really looking forward to hearing from you and I am grateful to have you as part of the Unbound Gratitude community.

I hope you have a wonderfully grateful week,

Gavin