This is the first week in a long time that I felt like I was really living in the moment. I'm someone who tends to think pretty frequently about the future and how I'm going to get there. And although I'd love to believe that I balance this out with being present, I don't do a great job of it all the time.

But this week, I let myself fully enjoy every day and didn't think too hard about any one topic. So although this week's newsletter will probably be shorter than usual, I did want to touch briefly on the idea of gratitude.

Gratitude is a really wonderful thing because it doesn't cost anything, is easy to practice, and it tinges the world with a happy hue. I try my best to be thankful every single day for the life that I have and the people that I get to spend time with.

An especially gratitude-filled time every year for me is on my birthday. I suppose that in a way, each of us has our very own "New Year" on the day of our birth, so it's only natural to feel some sense of new beginnings. My reflections on my birthday usually follow the same general pattern since I've been fortunate to have a very stable life. Although my location and routines may change somewhat, the fundamental facets underlying my life have remained constant.

Unfortunately, all writing related to gratitude feels like a broken record since there are approximately 43 million self-help books on the topic. Trust me, no one dislikes the vacuous literature that litters our nation's bookstores telling you to "be thankful, this is the key to achieving Nirvana" more than I do. But I really do believe that gratitude, much like any other mindset, is something that needs to be practiced.

So to help get you started on the practice, I want to share some thoughts on things that I think we should be grateful for that you may not have considered:

1. The detonation of nuclear bombs in the first atomic tests did not trigger a chain fission reaction with all the molecules of the atmosphere, leading to complete annihilation of surface-dwellers. Some scientists were actually worried this might happen so phew! The good news is that they were wrong, just like all things in science. [1] Good thing too, or else you wouldn't be receiving this absolutely stellar newsletter every week.

2. The average price of a Hot 'n Spicy McChicken at McDonald's is still under $2. With a nationwide average of $1.84, this gastronomic marvel can be enjoyed by practically anyone, regardless of their class, their location, or their views on Preferred Shower Water Temperature. Billions of dollars of R&D have gone into crafting the mathematically optimal hit of dopamine per bite, and I think that's beautiful. [2] Imagine being born in 1658 and having to eat gruel and sawdust or whatever it was that they ate. You'd be pretty sorry then.

3. Friction behaves in predicable ways. Think about how silly you'd look if every time you got up to take a walk, you instead found yourself slippin' and slidin' like Tom and Jerry on some ice. It would give me quite the laugh but your insurance premiums would undoubtedly be higher. A tough pill to swallow in this economy. [3]

4. Birds cannot wield guns reliably. Although I must admit that I haven't specifically tested every bird for shooting acuity, I just feel as though we should appreciate the general lack of flying felons. If you do see any hawks observing your next outing at a shooting range, take one for the team and knock it out of the sky. We can't take any chances. [4]

5. Many animals have a chubby representative. Just kinda nice. Here are two examples: chonky bee, 3 winter bear.

6. Visionaries like this man exist among us. Highly recommend giving this video a watch whenever you're going through a tough time. It's sure to improve your whole day.

7. The sun has not expanded into a red giant, engulfing and incinerating the Earth, laying waste to all life and its associated hopes, dreams, and aspirations. Haha.

That's all I have for this list, I don't really have much to say about gratitude that hasn't been written by scores of people before me. But to end this, I encourage you all to sit down, grab a piece of paper, leave your phone in another room, and write out a few things that you're grateful for. Try to think of things that made you laugh in the last few weeks, what made you smile, what you're looking forward to in the coming months. I bet that if you do this, you'll feel better, probably. [5]

Of course, being thankful for things that you have won't suddenly make your problems disappear. And there are real problems in life that certainly can't be smiled away. But on the whole, approaching each day with a "life is pretty swell" attitude is sure to make you feel better in the long run. And honestly, what do you have to lose by trying to stay positive?

Thanks to everyone who reads this newsletter and has been following along on this writing journey. I really do appreciate it, it's so nice to be able to share thoughts in this way. We've got ~36 more newsletters to go this year, so hold on to your hats.

This week's songs all come from a playlist of mine titled Sounds of Home. These are songs that I like to listen to whenever I'm not feeling great or when I just want to remind myself of all the good things in life. I know that a lot of people like to listen to sad songs when they're feeling sad, but that's not my strategy. I buoy my spirits with songs that evoke nostalgia, songs that I associate with a good time in the past, and songs that I know I'll listen to for the rest of my life. I recommend that you all make the same sort of playlist with songs that are meaningful to you and give it a listen whenever you need a pick-me-up. In the meantime, I hope you all enjoy these songs!

Road Trip - Eric Bellinger
Spotify | YouTube

Acapulco - Jazeboo
Spotify | YouTube

Walkin' On The Sun - Smash Mouth
Spotify | YouTube

Something About Us - Daft Punk [6]
Spotify | YouTube

See you all next Sunday!

suhaas
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Here are Spotify and YouTube playlists with all the songs so far.

[1] Science is only wrong some of the time. Personally I think we should go back to praying to the rain gods and performing ceremonial goat sacrifices at the mouth of a volcano, but somehow that seems to be out of fashion. I'm hoping it returns, we'll have so many Tiktok tutorials on it.

[2] One of the strongest arguments in favor of capitalism to be honest. You think the Soviet Union could have invented the Happy Meal?? When was the last time you saw Stalin smile? That's what I thought.

[3] Lmao insert financial joke here about inflation and the Fed. Exactly the sort of humor that we can all get behind amirite 😂😂. But please lower the prices Mr. Fed, my children are being enticed to work in the mines for extra income.

[4] Though this may land you a stint in the local county jail, it will have been for a worthwhile cause. If you get arrested, I promise that I'll come visit you occasionally. Maybe less frequently during summertime, but know that you are Not Forgotten.

[5] If you do not feel better, I do not offer refunds, sorry.

[6] This music video is really cool, I recommend giving it a watch if you have some time.