How Gratitude Changed Tasha Reign’s Life
Tasha Reign is a porn star — a sex worker who wears that title proudly. In her weekly column, she’s here to educate Galore readers on the topics that most people are too shy to broach. This week: tasting the Reign-bow.
Sometimes it can be tough to see the bright side.
When a parent passes away, or you lose a job offer you really wanted, you drop your keys down the elevator shaft, you lock yourself out of your apartment but you can’t tell the manager because you’re hiding a dog, you are burnt to death from the sun but you have to have sex on camera the next day, you don’t have a boyfriend and haven’t in years (yes these are all about me), it’s easy to get bogged down.
But for my 27th birthday this year, my dear best friend Dru, who I’ve known since third grade, gave me a present that changed my life and helped me to approach everything I do with a newfound energy and optimism: a gratitude book.
Sounds cheesy, right? I can be a skeptic, too — as much as I want to believe in the good, I have that same little voice in my head that doesn’t always trust. I struggle with depression. I really do, since I can remember, and it’s an ongoing battle that never ceases entirely without a focused effort to defeat the monster.
Honestly, that’s a topic for another day but I know that I’m not alone and I know that I’m not a doctor, but I have a solution that will really help: gratitude.
I have always heard other people say that it’s just as easy to have a bad attitude as it is to have a good attitude, I never really understood what that meant exactly, until now. My friend gave me a book called “The Five-Minute Journal.” The premise goes like this: You wake up every day to a new quote, you can read that uplifting quote aloud and then sometimes it’s interactive. For example: “One of my favorite books is_____ commit to reading/skimming it today. ” or “Speak when you’re angry and you will make the best speech you will ever regret” or something along those lines.
After that, you have three sections to fill out: what you are grateful for, what would make today great, and daily affirmations. Then at night before you go to bed you make time to write even more: three amazing things that happened today, and how you could have made today even better.
This may sound like a lot of work, but I promise it’s not. When you internalize these answers and positivity you automatically smile, you have a warmth inside that you hadn’t had before. With a new shift in my career, I have new anxiety and worries about what my purpose is and what to do with my time, choices I have made, this allows me the chance to be thoughtful when I normally wouldn’t be.
I also promise that you don’t have to have this specific book and if you create your own little make shift journal it will be just as effective. The point here being, that when you are made to be conscious and made to really be aware of what you HAVE and what you’re grateful for. In turn, you have a huge shift in attitude. Chances are, if you’re reading this, you have a roof over your head and food to eat. But dig deeper than that. You have friends and family and pets and a big beautiful life ahead and so much to offer the world. When you change your attitude by internalizing your gratuity you almost become a different person, with new prospects and opportunities.
I started journaling morning and night, even jotting down a few lines here and there when I am super tired or drunk from going out, and really giving it my all, in a matter of weeks my whole perspective has changed. I am more motivated to do the things I love, like writing and yoga, I have more energy and more drive to accomplish my goals and tasks, I am just so much more joyous and elated, I can blame it on my new found space in life for gratitude. I dare you undertake this challenge, just for a week and tell me what happens, or don’t tell anyone, but I can assure a shift will be made. You can be grateful for something as simple a good cup of coffee, a cat nap, a compliment, some delicious food, or even just your own skin.
