Let’s Talk About Gratitude

I’ll be honest with you: gratitude and I haven’t always been best friends. For most of my life, it felt like this shiny concept that everyone else seemed to have figured out, I was stuck focusing on everything I didn’t have. If you’ve ever found yourself awake at 2 a.m., going through a mental checklist of regrets, missed opportunities, and things that feel unfair, then you know exactly what I mean. But here’s what I’ve learned along the way: gratitude isn’t about pretending life is perfect. It’s about noticing the small, steady gifts hiding in plain sight, even when everything else feels heavy.

For me, gratitude has often felt almost impossible. As human beings, we tend to zoom in on the negatives — the things we don’t have, the moments that didn’t turn out the way we hoped, the love or stability that always seemed out of reach.

There were years where I felt like nothing more than a tiny speck in this vast ocean of people. I carried the weight of what was missing: never having a partner to stand by me and say “it’s us against the world,” never knowing the love of a child, and often not even being able to take care of myself in the ways that really matter. That kind of emptiness can turn into self-loathing quickly. And for a long time, it did.

But gratitude and mental health go hand in hand, and what I’ve discovered is this: it’s not a switch you flip. It’s a practice. A messy, stubborn, imperfect practice. Over the past ten years, with a ridiculous amount of effort (and a universe worth of guidance), I’ve slowly reshaped my thought patterns. Not perfectly — never perfectly — but enough to finally say: I’m grateful to myself for putting in the work.

I don’t have everything I once thought I needed to feel whole. But when I step back and look honestly at my life, I realize I have more than I ever gave myself credit for.

I have two steady rocks, my parents; who have stood by me through absolutely everything. Their love has been unwavering, and at times, they even carried me financially when I couldn’t stand on my own. For years I felt guilty about that, but now I see the balance shifting. I get to shoulder some of their stress through our family business, a venture built from blood, sweat, and tears that now supports us all. That feels like something to be proud of. And then there are my dogs. I know a lot of people think “they're just dogs.”, but they are my companions, my shadows, my healers. They stick with me through every high and low, offering a kind of loyalty that’s almost impossible to describe. Their unconditional love makes me feel like the most important person in their world — and that’s no small thing.

I may not have a big circle of friends where I live, but I’ve got soulmates scattered across the globe. They’re the kind of friends who feel like home, who remind me who I am, who can turn a simple memory into a belly laugh years later. We carry each other through this game of life, and that’s priceless. And then there’s travel, one of the richest gifts I’ve been given. Exploring the world has filled me with wonder, knowledge, perspective, and joy. No material thing could ever compare.

As I sit here at six in the morning writing this (yes, I know it's far too early to be awake), I realize something important: gratitude doesn’t erase the pain of what’s missing. It doesn’t magically make life easier. But it does shine a light on what’s already here.

And right now, gratitude feels like blooming. I'm grateful I can share this with you. Hopeful that there is no judgment in my little ramblings and I'm excited for this new chapter in my life with New Life Lotus This new venture has brought creativity back into my life, and with it, purpose. My hope is that my work in carefully creating products with meaning and all my love will help you change your mindset that brings you hope for your future, every time you write in your gratitude journal or wrap yourself in a blanket because you need to cocoon away from the world for a day. I hope that you read an inspirational poster or catch a glimpse of a motivational sticker that you have pasted on the back of your laptop, you'll stop and think: “Life is hard. But I’m resilient. I have what it takes to get through it and be content.” Because sometimes we have to fake it ‘til we make it. And then one day, without even noticing, we realize we’re not faking anymore.

If you’re struggling with gratitude (and I promise, I’ve been there): gratitude doesn’t have to be big or polished or perfect. It can be messy. It can be quiet. It can be as small as noticing your morning coffee or the way your dog curls up beside you. Gratitude improves mental health because it shifts our focus, from what’s missing to what’s already here. It softens our self-talk. It helps us build resilience. And the tiniest practices like; pausing to reflect before bed, or laughing with a friend; those tiny things stack up. Over time, they reshape the way we see the world. So no, I don’t have the picture-perfect life I once thought I needed. But I do have love, loyalty, support, and purpose. And honestly? That’s enough to keep me moving forward.

And today, that’s what I’m grateful for.

✨ Now I’d love to hear from you — what are you grateful for today? Share it in the comments below. Let’s remind each other of the quiet, beautiful things we already have. I hope to hear from you.

Love Mary