I’m Grateful For…
Gratefulness reflection continues to be a core part of my regimen for maintaining mental clarity and better well-being since it was introduced to me in 2017. I first heard of the practice when Weldon Green, Head Coach of Counter Logic Gaming, recommended it along with the Five Minute Journal by Intelligent Change.
The practice is simple:
Take a moment to reflect and ask yourself the question: “What am I grateful for?
That’s it.
Gratefulness is a basic idea that we’ve all learned at some point in our lives. It’s likely it was taught to you during your childhood as it was for me. You may remember your parents telling you not to take everything for granted as they asked you to finish your vegetables. Or perhaps you were reciting your own list to your 1st grade class in November, as the U.S. holiday of Thanksgiving came closer. Whichever it may be, the effects that gratefulness brings aren’t as rudimentary as it is to understand.
Upon reflection, you’ll feel a sense of happiness. An honest and genuine feeling that can be acquainted with a strong embrace from a loved one or seeing the glee on your friend’s face as they open the surprise birthday gift you prepared. It’s the kind of fulfillment you get when helping a stranger in need. Think about how awesome that feeling is! Also, think about how you don’t have to wait for those moments to feel like that. Admittedly, the feeling may not equate to the same degree each time you reflect. However, it’s an underrated how powerful this is as a tool to improve your mood and state of mind, thus improving your overall well-being. Not only can you cheer yourself up, you can cheer up a friend or even a stranger.
I’m Grateful For… March 2017
During college, I was tasked with photographing strangers. I needed to approach people I didn’t know at all and ask to take their photo. Their collection of pictures would then be put into a book with a unique idea or concept to unify them together. When my professor brought the assignment, I had just started practicing reflection and figured I would implement it into my homework.
I knew I wanted the answers in the picture instead of the caption. White boards and markers made that possible and its limited space pushed the people to write their answer concisely. The boards became a physical representation for gratefulness people could hold in their hands.
At first, I felt quite nervous approaching people. But the process became easier after each photo. Most people kept walking to avoid solicitation, but for those who took the time to listen, they approached the prompt with eagerness and curiosity. As they took a moment to think about the question, I could see a wave of positive emotion change on their face. I thanked them for their time and some would surprisingly thank me too. Our encounter would end with smiles, laughs and handshakes. Positive feelings with complete strangers.
What is LCS Grateful For?
Almost exactly two years later in March of 2019, I revisited the project again. This time I would approach League of Legends Championship Series (LCS), a professional esports league and production. It’s at these events that I was amazed not only to see a game I loved, but joyful to meet other people who shared that same excitement. There’s players, coaches, production staff, fans. All these people make up the experience at LCS and its own community. Unlike the strangers, there’s at least one if not several things to have in common with these people as a fan. I became curious to know what everyone was grateful for in this space. Once again, I approached who I could and was met with kindness and smiles, even from those who declined to participate.
I’m curious to survey and wonder what people from other communities or different parts of the world may answer. Still, I hope to continue the project in the near future with LCS or other gaming communities.
If you see your photo below, you can contact me and I will send you your photo for download.
Thank you so much.
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