I used to keep a gratitude journal. Each night I would write an amount in it...a visit with a friend was worth a million dollars, a found $1.00 in the parking lot was $1.00, A hug was worth another million dollars, etc. At the end each night, I would add all of that up and found I was a millionaire every day. Truly a rich person and that began to change things financially...at least it relieved the angst of poverty. It was a manifestation of gratitude that spiraled every day creating the change of its own momentum.
Catherine, this is stunning. I love how concrete you made it by assigning actual value to what matters. A hug is worth a million dollars. That's exactly right. And the way you describe it "creating the change of its own momentum" - yes. That's the spiral. When gratitude becomes a practice, it builds on itself. You see more because you're looking. Thank you for sharing this.
Ilona, thank you for this. I’m not sure I’ve stopped to consider gratitude in a long time. In fact, even after thinking about what I’m grateful for, it was difficult to push aside the overwhelming feelings of anxiety brought on daily by the world we live in.
For me, I can’t just point to one specific thing, such as my 50 years of marriage to the same woman, or my two children who are both happy and successful in their lives, or the grandchildren I love so much, but wasn’t sure I’d ever have. I am truly grateful for these things—I consider myself blessed in this regard, considering the family I came from. That 9-year-old boy who promised himself a different future somehow kept that promise.
Your piece reminded me that gratitude and anxiety don’t have to be in competition. Today, I’m choosing to let gratitude have the louder voice. Thank you for that gift.
Keith, this moved me deeply. That 9-year-old boy who promised himself a different future and kept that promise - that's everything. And you're right: gratitude and anxiety don't have to compete. They can exist alongside each other. Some days the anxiety is louder, some days gratitude gets through. The spiral holds both. Thank you for letting gratitude have the louder voice today, and for sharing this with such honesty. I'm grateful you're here.
And I appreciate you sort of yanking me from the muck and mire today. I’ve felt a bit down the past few days, some old memories painfully resurfacing, but your piece said “suck it up, soldier” in the nicest way I’ve heard it said. I love my Substack community—so supportive, so caring. And all that from those we’ve never actually met, but yet seem to know so well.
Keith, I'm so glad it reached you when you needed it. Those old memories don't follow any schedule. They show up when they show up. And you're right about this community. There's something about showing up honestly in writing that creates real connection, even across distance. We see each other clearly here. Grateful you're part of it.
Good morning, Ilona! First, of course, thank you for this message. I love the symbol and its meanings. In my work, I teach that gratitude and joy are two sides of the same coin, and I practice that daily. Want more joy? Be the gratitude that fuels it. We have so much to be grateful for if we pay attention. Grazie Mille! 💝
Joy, I'm currently studying Italian via Duo Lingo and "grazie mille" was a recent phrase that I learned. It must be the Universe acting in concert with us! Grazie mille for helping me learn Italian!
Good morning, Joy! I love this - "be the gratitude that fuels it." That's exactly it. And yes, the paying attention part is everything. When I'm not exhausted from performing or managing everyone else's comfort, I actually have the bandwidth to notice what's worth being grateful for. It's like the gratitude was always there, but I was too depleted to see it.
The practice of gratitude changed my life over the last four years. When I finally found a way out of constant grief and started to look for all that I had in life rather than what I had lost, everything changed for me. I did not realize the symbolism of the three dots until you explained it, Ilona, and it makes perfect sense! The 'shift' in me has been the outreach I now do to help others. That is where the strength builds into that 'spiral' you refer to in your post. Thank you for the description of this Celtic symbol. You are right, if I were so inclined, it would make an excellent tattoo!
Candy, the shift from "what I lost" to "what I have" - that's profound work, especially in grief. And that you've turned it into outreach to help others? That's the spiral building on itself, creating its own momentum. The gratitude becomes strength, the strength becomes service, and it keeps moving outward. Thank you for sharing this. And yes, it would make a beautiful tattoo, a reminder of everything you've traveled through. 💙
I forgot I can still be grateful after my husband's death. In fact, I have many, MANY things to be grateful for and I know this. Thank you for the reminder.
Maureen, grief doesn't cancel gratitude - they can sit right next to each other. Sometimes the hardest part is giving ourselves permission to feel both at once. I'm glad this was a reminder. Holding you gently. 💙
I didn't know about the Koru. I just looked it up and you're right, it's stunning. And yes, "no straight lines in nature" - that's exactly it. We're the only ones trying to force straight-line progress. Everything else just spirals and grows. Thank you for this.
I love this symbol! Thank you for sharing it. In general, I have always liked spirals since we find them so much in nature. At the moment, I am not spiraling towards anything. There us a lot going on but I feel like I am just walking the path, trying tobe grateful for where I am at the moment.
Carol, "just walking the path" is still movement. Sometimes the spiral feels dramatic, sometimes it's quieter - just one foot in front of the other, being where you are. That's enough. Being grateful for the present moment while a lot is going on? That's actually the hardest kind of gratitude. Thank you for this.
This is such a meaningful post, Ilona. I absolutely love the symbol. You've inspired me to write about the Om symbol. There's much more to it than is generally known.
Happy non-exhausting Thanksgiving to you and yours.
Paulette, I would love to read about the Om symbol! Please write that - I suspect there are layers most of us don't know. And thank you for the "non-exhausting Thanksgiving" wish. That's exactly what I'm aiming for. Wishing you the same. 💙
I have so many reasons to be grateful. I too, have a gratitude journal and have been writing down at least three things each night before bed. I have a stack of these journals through the years. They have given me perspective in days/months that could have been gloomy. No matter what comes our way, we can find something that is a bright spot. Today, I am ecstatically grateful for my newly born granddaughter. She is healthy, beautiful and precious.
Jan, congratulations on your granddaughter! What a joy. And I love that you have stacks of gratitude journals - what a beautiful record of your life, all those bright spots captured. There's something powerful about writing it down, making it tangible. Ecstatic gratitude for a new baby - that's the spiral at work, life continuing, love expanding. So happy for you! 💕
I love the spiral metaphor. It mirrors how I track progress in content creation.
Gratitude at the center keeps me grounded, while consistent systems like "My Accountability Partner" help me move forward without losing sight of what matters.
How do you keep your own momentum while staying present?
Frank, I love that you track your progress in spirals rather than straight lines - that feels so much more honest to how creative work actually happens. For me, momentum comes from showing up consistently to write, but staying present means I have to protect my energy. I can't spiral forward if I'm still exhausting myself managing other people's expectations. So it's a constant practice of choosing what deserves my attention and what doesn't. The gratitude helps me notice when I'm draining myself versus when I'm actually building something.
It is important to stay present while showing up with momentum. This helps alot because it's so easy to fall for the chaos of managing people's expectations.
I'm reading a book called "The Fourth Turning is Here," by Neil Howe. In it he talks about 3 perspectives of time throughout history: chaotic, seasonal, and linear. He shares that for centuries, humans perceived time as seasonal, the ebb and flow, the turning and returning. I didn't realize linear time is a relatively new construct. Your symbol reminded me there are so many frameworks to explore for understanding ourselves and each other better.
Niki, this is fascinating. I love the idea that seasonal/cyclical time was the norm for so long. Linear time creates this pressure that we're supposed to be moving "forward" constantly, progressing in a straight line. But the spiral honors both - yes, we're moving, yes, we're changing, but we're also circling back, returning to themes and questions and lessons in new ways. Thank you for this ! I'm adding that book to my list.
Ilona Goanos: The shape resonates as a variant on forms found in seashells and calculated with exactitude and drawn in mathematics by Archimedes, who lived in Syracuse (Sicily) during the turbulent Second Punic War. (The geometry of Archimedes aimed at the infinite and the infinitesimal and was a historical precursor to the Calculus. Archimedes life ended when a careless Roman soldier killed him, unaware that this was the great Geometer whose life the commanding general wanted to spare.)
The shape is powerful because: (1) We have distant thoughts of nature and the sea; and (2) Its uncertainty invites further questions and speculation.
Studies lead to platforms upon which to ask ever more, ever deeper, ever more far-reaching questions.
Armando, I love that you brought Archimedes into this - the connection to seashells and the infinite/infinitesimal is beautiful. You're right that the uncertainty is part of the power. I don't know if this symbol is ancient Celtic or modern invention, but it resonates regardless. Maybe that's because the spiral itself is so fundamental - it shows up in nature, in mathematics, in how we actually move through change. Thank you for adding this layer.
Since April of 2009, you, Ilona, have been at the center of my Gratitude Spiral (or Circle, or whatever shape we give it...) Thank you for being you, someone who is constantly evolving and who keeps life interesting in every way. Grazie mille!
I used to keep a gratitude journal. Each night I would write an amount in it...a visit with a friend was worth a million dollars, a found $1.00 in the parking lot was $1.00, A hug was worth another million dollars, etc. At the end each night, I would add all of that up and found I was a millionaire every day. Truly a rich person and that began to change things financially...at least it relieved the angst of poverty. It was a manifestation of gratitude that spiraled every day creating the change of its own momentum.
Catherine, this is stunning. I love how concrete you made it by assigning actual value to what matters. A hug is worth a million dollars. That's exactly right. And the way you describe it "creating the change of its own momentum" - yes. That's the spiral. When gratitude becomes a practice, it builds on itself. You see more because you're looking. Thank you for sharing this.
Ilona, thank you for this. I’m not sure I’ve stopped to consider gratitude in a long time. In fact, even after thinking about what I’m grateful for, it was difficult to push aside the overwhelming feelings of anxiety brought on daily by the world we live in.
For me, I can’t just point to one specific thing, such as my 50 years of marriage to the same woman, or my two children who are both happy and successful in their lives, or the grandchildren I love so much, but wasn’t sure I’d ever have. I am truly grateful for these things—I consider myself blessed in this regard, considering the family I came from. That 9-year-old boy who promised himself a different future somehow kept that promise.
Your piece reminded me that gratitude and anxiety don’t have to be in competition. Today, I’m choosing to let gratitude have the louder voice. Thank you for that gift.
Keith, this moved me deeply. That 9-year-old boy who promised himself a different future and kept that promise - that's everything. And you're right: gratitude and anxiety don't have to compete. They can exist alongside each other. Some days the anxiety is louder, some days gratitude gets through. The spiral holds both. Thank you for letting gratitude have the louder voice today, and for sharing this with such honesty. I'm grateful you're here.
And I appreciate you sort of yanking me from the muck and mire today. I’ve felt a bit down the past few days, some old memories painfully resurfacing, but your piece said “suck it up, soldier” in the nicest way I’ve heard it said. I love my Substack community—so supportive, so caring. And all that from those we’ve never actually met, but yet seem to know so well.
Keith, I'm so glad it reached you when you needed it. Those old memories don't follow any schedule. They show up when they show up. And you're right about this community. There's something about showing up honestly in writing that creates real connection, even across distance. We see each other clearly here. Grateful you're part of it.
Good morning, Ilona! First, of course, thank you for this message. I love the symbol and its meanings. In my work, I teach that gratitude and joy are two sides of the same coin, and I practice that daily. Want more joy? Be the gratitude that fuels it. We have so much to be grateful for if we pay attention. Grazie Mille! 💝
Joy, I'm currently studying Italian via Duo Lingo and "grazie mille" was a recent phrase that I learned. It must be the Universe acting in concert with us! Grazie mille for helping me learn Italian!
Good morning, Joy! I love this - "be the gratitude that fuels it." That's exactly it. And yes, the paying attention part is everything. When I'm not exhausted from performing or managing everyone else's comfort, I actually have the bandwidth to notice what's worth being grateful for. It's like the gratitude was always there, but I was too depleted to see it.
The practice of gratitude changed my life over the last four years. When I finally found a way out of constant grief and started to look for all that I had in life rather than what I had lost, everything changed for me. I did not realize the symbolism of the three dots until you explained it, Ilona, and it makes perfect sense! The 'shift' in me has been the outreach I now do to help others. That is where the strength builds into that 'spiral' you refer to in your post. Thank you for the description of this Celtic symbol. You are right, if I were so inclined, it would make an excellent tattoo!
Candy, the shift from "what I lost" to "what I have" - that's profound work, especially in grief. And that you've turned it into outreach to help others? That's the spiral building on itself, creating its own momentum. The gratitude becomes strength, the strength becomes service, and it keeps moving outward. Thank you for sharing this. And yes, it would make a beautiful tattoo, a reminder of everything you've traveled through. 💙
I forgot I can still be grateful after my husband's death. In fact, I have many, MANY things to be grateful for and I know this. Thank you for the reminder.
Maureen, grief doesn't cancel gratitude - they can sit right next to each other. Sometimes the hardest part is giving ourselves permission to feel both at once. I'm glad this was a reminder. Holding you gently. 💙
And reminds me of the New Zealand Koru, which is quite intoxicating. Remember, there are no straight lines in nature.
I didn't know about the Koru. I just looked it up and you're right, it's stunning. And yes, "no straight lines in nature" - that's exactly it. We're the only ones trying to force straight-line progress. Everything else just spirals and grows. Thank you for this.
I love this symbol! Thank you for sharing it. In general, I have always liked spirals since we find them so much in nature. At the moment, I am not spiraling towards anything. There us a lot going on but I feel like I am just walking the path, trying tobe grateful for where I am at the moment.
Carol, "just walking the path" is still movement. Sometimes the spiral feels dramatic, sometimes it's quieter - just one foot in front of the other, being where you are. That's enough. Being grateful for the present moment while a lot is going on? That's actually the hardest kind of gratitude. Thank you for this.
This is such a meaningful post, Ilona. I absolutely love the symbol. You've inspired me to write about the Om symbol. There's much more to it than is generally known.
Happy non-exhausting Thanksgiving to you and yours.
Paulette, I would love to read about the Om symbol! Please write that - I suspect there are layers most of us don't know. And thank you for the "non-exhausting Thanksgiving" wish. That's exactly what I'm aiming for. Wishing you the same. 💙
I have so many reasons to be grateful. I too, have a gratitude journal and have been writing down at least three things each night before bed. I have a stack of these journals through the years. They have given me perspective in days/months that could have been gloomy. No matter what comes our way, we can find something that is a bright spot. Today, I am ecstatically grateful for my newly born granddaughter. She is healthy, beautiful and precious.
Jan, congratulations on your granddaughter! What a joy. And I love that you have stacks of gratitude journals - what a beautiful record of your life, all those bright spots captured. There's something powerful about writing it down, making it tangible. Ecstatic gratitude for a new baby - that's the spiral at work, life continuing, love expanding. So happy for you! 💕
Thank you Ilona. The joy of grandparenting. ❤️
Love this! Definitely tattoo worthy!
Right?! So many people saying they want it as a tattoo - I love that the symbol resonates that deeply. 💙
I love the spiral metaphor. It mirrors how I track progress in content creation.
Gratitude at the center keeps me grounded, while consistent systems like "My Accountability Partner" help me move forward without losing sight of what matters.
How do you keep your own momentum while staying present?
Frank, I love that you track your progress in spirals rather than straight lines - that feels so much more honest to how creative work actually happens. For me, momentum comes from showing up consistently to write, but staying present means I have to protect my energy. I can't spiral forward if I'm still exhausting myself managing other people's expectations. So it's a constant practice of choosing what deserves my attention and what doesn't. The gratitude helps me notice when I'm draining myself versus when I'm actually building something.
Yes Ilona, I totally agree with you.
It is important to stay present while showing up with momentum. This helps alot because it's so easy to fall for the chaos of managing people's expectations.
Thank You for the insights
Frank, exactly - the chaos of managing expectations can swallow everything if we let it. Glad this resonated. Thanks for being here.
You’re welcome Ilona
I'm reading a book called "The Fourth Turning is Here," by Neil Howe. In it he talks about 3 perspectives of time throughout history: chaotic, seasonal, and linear. He shares that for centuries, humans perceived time as seasonal, the ebb and flow, the turning and returning. I didn't realize linear time is a relatively new construct. Your symbol reminded me there are so many frameworks to explore for understanding ourselves and each other better.
Niki, this is fascinating. I love the idea that seasonal/cyclical time was the norm for so long. Linear time creates this pressure that we're supposed to be moving "forward" constantly, progressing in a straight line. But the spiral honors both - yes, we're moving, yes, we're changing, but we're also circling back, returning to themes and questions and lessons in new ways. Thank you for this ! I'm adding that book to my list.
Ilona Goanos: The shape resonates as a variant on forms found in seashells and calculated with exactitude and drawn in mathematics by Archimedes, who lived in Syracuse (Sicily) during the turbulent Second Punic War. (The geometry of Archimedes aimed at the infinite and the infinitesimal and was a historical precursor to the Calculus. Archimedes life ended when a careless Roman soldier killed him, unaware that this was the great Geometer whose life the commanding general wanted to spare.)
The shape is powerful because: (1) We have distant thoughts of nature and the sea; and (2) Its uncertainty invites further questions and speculation.
Studies lead to platforms upon which to ask ever more, ever deeper, ever more far-reaching questions.
Armando, I love that you brought Archimedes into this - the connection to seashells and the infinite/infinitesimal is beautiful. You're right that the uncertainty is part of the power. I don't know if this symbol is ancient Celtic or modern invention, but it resonates regardless. Maybe that's because the spiral itself is so fundamental - it shows up in nature, in mathematics, in how we actually move through change. Thank you for adding this layer.
Grateful that grateful is alive and moving in infinite unfathomable ways
Yes. Infinite and unfathomable - I love that. The spiral never stops. ✨
Since April of 2009, you, Ilona, have been at the center of my Gratitude Spiral (or Circle, or whatever shape we give it...) Thank you for being you, someone who is constantly evolving and who keeps life interesting in every way. Grazie mille!
I love this. So worth a long, slow reread- maybe every day. Thank you. 🙏
Leah, thank you. That means so much - that it's worth coming back to. 🙏