Excerpts from Ross’s letters to friends and family

So, I’ve been practicing gratitude at every opportunity, especially in the morning to kick the day off right and as I fall asleep at night. There are so many things to be grateful for, from the basic necessities (food, water, etc.), to our bodies, minds, and health, to the people we care about and on and on. You could literally give thanks all day long and not cover everything. And the effect is transformative. It’s the difference between seeing things as scarce and abundant.

Your musings and mine intersect when it comes to being and striving. I try to find a balance, too. One way I think of it is that “being / enjoyment / happiness / satisfaction” is the goal and striving the means to it. If you lose sight of that and spend your whole life striving, and never enjoy it, then you’ve missed a big part of living.

I think it’s just great that you’ve taken up this one kindness a day idea. At the end of any given day you can usually look back and find some kindness you did, but premeditated and deliberate kindness I think is really good for you because it interrupts the habitual focus we usually put on ourselves.