Victory - the word sounds grandiose, bellicose, or historical. Yet, there are small victories we accomplish each and every day, which can keep us afloat when we feel most adrift.
Battling depression, recognising and celebrating one's victories is a major element of daily practice. Gratitude lists, so en vogue nowadays among the self-help crowd, have long been a part of therapy. Some evenings, the list fills up so fast, your hand feels nearly unable to keep up; other times, it takes effort to make up the 3-5 minimum elements (each person has their own minimum number). The crux of the problem resides in the fact that, for it to be truly effective, a gratitude list has to be genuine - you must feel honestly grateful for that bit of reality in your life.
It needn't be a massive blessing. Nevertheless, it must bring you real joy, even if just a spark.
Some of the things I have been grateful for, as time has gone bye and I revisit the technique, include family members, jobs, locales. They also include clothes, being awake to see the sunrise, or the colourful bounty of a fresh salad. Sometimes, they repeat themselves, which is only natural as we grow bolder in going for that which we love, that which justifies our smile, our need to live and experience.
The secret, you see, is that a gratitude list is actually a memento of the instances we allow ourselves to come up for air, and revel in it. These are moments when we have defeated the inertia to sink, choosing instead to act, to experience, to thrive. These are the moments we have loved ourselves again, enough to show, and keep a record of, them.
In the lifelong journey that is depression, gratitude lists are some of your most powerful weapons.
Today, I am once again grateful for many things. Among them, I am grateful for being able to read and write.
What are you grateful for, today? What is you victory?
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