It’s that time of year when we’re reminded o be grateful for all the gifts we’ve been given. It seems to me a great idea to stop and take time to bring to mind all the good things we have. But I prefer to try to practice gratitude year-round.

I approach it not as an emotion, but as an exercise. It’s something I do rather than something I feel. At least once a day I remind myself of the many good things I have. When I get down or am tempted to feel sorry for myself, I make it a point to bring to mind the positives in my life.

It isn’t always easy. My life isn’t all bunny rabbits and roses. I’ve had plenty of disappointments, personal and professional. I’m an author, writing fiction, which all but guarantees that there will be plenty of soul-crushing events. Rejections, bad reviews, publisher issues, poor sales—if you’re a writer trying to get published or stay published, you’ll have plenty of experience with these. However many stories you’ve had accepted, awards you’ve won, glowing reviews you’ve garnered, there will likely be more of the bad things. You can’t afford to dwell on them.

Among the many things I’ve been blessed with personally are a wonderful husband and a great family. Not that it’s always been smooth sailing. There’ve been crises, arguments, times when money was desperately short, some ugly health issues. I’ve had periods of depression and felt helpless at times. But my children have bloomed into wonderful people and they’ve provided many grandchildren that I adore.

I have a warm house, plenty of food on the table, transportation plus the freedom to go wherever I want, and decent health (despite some ups and downs, including Long Covid). Those are a lot more than many people in the world have. Compared to many I live like a queen.

And while I may not have any kind of bestseller status, I have had a number of books and stories published. I’ve won awards and been a finalist for quite a few more. I’ve had decent reviews on most of my books.

Wait… One of my books (Falling for the Deputy) actually was an Amazon bestseller in an obscure category for a couple of days while the book was on sale. Good enough. I’m grateful for it.