Hi there,
Welcome to the second issue of One Good Word from Dr. Dan.
You're receiving this because you signed up for a free guide at HeyDrDan.com. You can learn more about One Good Word and read past issues here.
A quick aside
Before we get to the newsletter proper, a quick apology. I just realized that the waitlist page for my burnout course was stuck in drafts. I didn't realize the error because I could see it, but nobody else could.
This has been fixed, and you can now get notified when it's ready. (You can also see the cat photo I'm using as a placeholder!)
One Good Word
When my wife Elizabeth says my name, her voice changes.
Not by much, but enough that you can tell that she loves me. There's a softness in how she holds my name.
Last week, a friend told me that one of his life goals was to find a partner who said his name the way Elizabeth says mine.
And that makes sense! My wife's love for me is one of my greatest treasures.
But when my friend said this, I was struck by how rarely I stopped to appreciate what I had. How many times a day does Elizabeth say my name? How often am I given something I've wanted my whole life?
And how often do I barely notice?
I'm not alone in this, of course. Being human seems to come with a bad habit of focusing on desire over gratitude. Almost as soon as we get something, we start taking it for granted.
Fortunately, being human also comes with an ability to grow and to change. So I've been slowly learning to be more grateful.
A gratitude journal has never really worked for me, but I've started to take more photos. When I notice myself in a moment that my past self would have been jealous of, I take a picture. Sometimes I can physically snap a photo; sometimes I just pause to take a mental photo of the moment.
As I do, I tell myself:
Stop. Take this in.
You've wanted this for a long time. You'll miss it when it's gone.
Three Good Things
My favorite cat video of 2024, a tiny bit of fun (I recommend sound on but not too loud.) Joe Smith's TEDx talk, a four-minute masterclass in public speaking that will almost certainly change your life (or at least, your visits to a public restroom.) Shy, Autistic, or Both, an insightful essay from One Good Word reader Sxdni hosted on author Wendela Marsh's website.
(Got a good thing you think other readers will enjoy or find helpful? Suggest it by replying directly to this email!)
Thanks for reading!
Okay, that was One Good Word #2! If you know anyone that might want to read this too, I'd appreciate you sharing the signup link with them.
Got thoughts, questions, or suggestions? Just reply directly to this email. I may not be able to respond to everyone (and I can't give clinical advice), but I do my best to read every email.
~ Dr. Dan
P.S I went viral this week! (The YouTube numbers don't look that impressive, but I got over 2 million views across Instagram and TikTok.)
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