Gratitude is My Attitude

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by Julie, making the lists for the Thanksgiving desserts in Somerville

gratitude is my attitudeI’ve talked about my online business school for performing artists that I’m starting. While I feel that the work of helping artists get over the obstacles in their path is my calling, it doesn’t make marketing the school and working on getting students any less daunting. I’ve decided to start doing videos on YouTube about arts issues (including building mailing lists, creating a landing site for audiences, and helping folks fall in love with the arts), but in order to get a dedicated URL I needed 100 subscribers. I had 18. My business coach told me to put it out there on Facebook, and ask folks to subscribe. Within four hours I’d reached the goal.

I felt like George Bailey at the end of It’s A Wonderful Life.

Here’s what I understand now more than ever. Gratitude is everything. I have expertise in arts management, but that makes me no less grateful to the folks who want to learn from me. I work hard at writing good books, but that makes me no less grateful that folks want to read them. Grateful.

Kindness is a core value, and I try to exercise it. Nevertheless, I’m humbled that it is returned to me tenfold everyday by folks. Grateful.

I have been blessed to work with many artists over the years. But to be named a Champion of Artists by the Massachusetts Artists Leadership Coalition? Beyond grateful. Humbled.

Finally, there are the Wickeds. Folks often comment that we seem to like each other, and that’s because we do. But it’s more than that. These women are my support system in a million different ways, and for that I am beyond grateful. Writing and publishing are two different topics, but the Wickeds are helpful with both. My path is both easier and more fun because I have them in my life. Wicked grateful for that.

Making gratitude my attitude is a gift to myself, really. And during this month, a week before my favorite holiday, I’m making it a daily practice. My gratitude extends to you, dear readers. You have made the Wicked Authors a part of your life, and for that I am grateful.

I’m also grateful that I have a new series coming out in January, and I have ARCs to give away. Today I’ll give two commenters on the blog an ARC of Pruning the Dead.

Published by Julie Hennrikus aka Julia Henry

One woman, three names, many books. As Julia Henry she writes the Garden Squad series for Kensington. As J.A. Hennrikus she writes the Theater Cop series, and as Julianne Holmes she wrote the Clock Shop series. Click on my profile picture to connect with me on Facebook and Instagram! @JHAuthors

73 Thoughts

  2. We have much to be grateful for. One, for me, is having a friend like you! I’m so delighted your service to the arts was publicly recognized, too. You rock, Julie.

  3. I have so many things to be grateful for: a roof over my head, food, my sweet dog Mojo, my kids. I am also eternally grateful my dad gave me the love of reading. It fills my days and takes me places I may never go.

  4. I am grateful for having found writing, after a lot of odd detours in my life–it’s something I love. And more: I’m grateful for the support and warmth from so many members of the writers’ community, who celebrate our successes and encourage us when things don’t go the way we hope. And of course, I’m grateful for all the readers who “get” what I’m trying to say in my books and are kind enough to tell me. Thank you!

    1. I think you’re odd detours add a lot to your writing. I’m grateful, for so many reasons, that you found your way to writing as well.

  5. Julie, it has been a real pleasure from the sidelines seeing your career blossom. You have worked hard on your craft and in aiding others and deserve every bit of success you’ve achieved. Congratulations.

  6. I get daily minute reflections from Franciscan Media. This week is all about being grateful, how much it changes your life. Today’s is “gratefulness brings joy to my life.” Amen.

  7. So grateful for family who have always been there for me! Congratulations Julie on your arts award! Good luck with your online business school. Looking forward to reading Pruning the Dead.

  8. Wow! Great blog this morning! Much happiness to you and all of the Wickeds! 😊📚

  9. Congrats on all your new ventures! Excited to read your new series! I love reminders that we need to be thankful for all that we are blessed with.

  10. Meeting you was a turning point in my life, Julie. I love how hard you work, how generous you are, and how you see obstacles as a new challenge. I’m grateful for you. Love you.

  12. I am grateful for the Wickeds and all the other authors who write so many books that I will never read all I have on my hope-to-read list. I really enjoyed the Clock Shop series, so I’m sure this one will be fun too.

  13. What a beautiful, relatable post. I am thankful for so much, including the Wickeds. Julie, PRUNING THE DEAD sounds so good! I can’t wait to read it! Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. ❤️

  15. Love your story! The Wicked are Awesome! I love that they share other authors stories and books like yours! So for that I’m very Thankful! 😊 Have a great day!!!!

  17. Love the definition difference between thankful and grateful. Thankful is a feeling – a feeling of love, appreciation or even relief. You can be thankful for a person, event or thing. While grateful is more of a feeling and/or action for being thankful.

    I am very thankful for all the Wicked and that have chosen to share their God given talents with us readers. I’m grateful for every opportunity I have to read one of their books and then spread that joy around by sharing my books with others. I’m also extremely thankful to have my amazing husband in my life and very grateful that every morning that I have another day to show him my love in the little things like a fresh baked batch of cookies.

    Thank you for the wonderful chance to win an ARC of “Pruning the Dead”! I would love to show my gratitude by reviewing it and then sharing the book with others. 🙂
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

  18. The problem with gratitude is giving back. No matter how much I try to show my gratitude (and I have a LOT to be grateful for, including my very life), the more I give, the more I receive. What a wonderful problem.

    I would love to win an ARC of “Pruning the Dead”!

  19. With a new granddaughter almost a month old, and my son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter visiting from Virginia last weekend, I am grateful on this holiday for family–the one I grew up in, the one I married into, and the one my husband and I, and now our kids, have created.

  21. After the fires last year, my sister-in-law heard an expression she started using to help all of them through the process of rebuilding their lives. “Gratitude turns what we have into enough.” I’ve been trying to remember that myself. It’s easy to be grateful when things are good, but finding the reasons to be thankful is a great position to have when the hard times come.

    1. Hi Mark,

      I read your post a bit ago and it’s been bouncing around my head for the past hour, rather like an ear worm, but in a good way. “Gratitude turns what we have into enough.” That’s definitely something I’m going to remember and try to live.

      I live in Sacramento, California, and while the Camp Fire is a couple of hundred miles away, it’s had a big impact on my life. First, of course, because of the loss of a whole town and the horrible, horrible loss of life. As the count of the dead rises daily, I’m not only grateful to still have my home and my loved ones, but I’m grateful that all I must cope with is a sun that’s cherry-red at high noon, having to wear a respirator mask to go to the grocery store, being almost unable to see across the street for the smoke.

      It’s a very odd, almost counter-intuitive thing to say, but truly, I’m grateful for all these things. I’m grateful because they remind me how much I have. I’m grateful because they make it easy to give up a tiny bit of what I have to make the lives of those who’ve lost EVERYTHING a little more comfortable. I’m grateful to be reminded of the fragility of our lives so that my gratitude and appreciation will continue every day.

      And, I’m grateful to you for sharing your sister-in-law’s words. Thank you, Mark.

      1. Mark and Lee, you both have learned to appreciate the bad that has happened as a way of appreciating the good. If only good things happened to us, we wouldn’t appreciate them because we would have nothing to compare them to. I’m continually grateful for the hell I went through because I now so thoroughly enjoy life.

      3. Lee, you are very welcome. Things like the fires definitely shake you up and make you appreciate what you have.

        My sister-in-law starting using that phrase after the fires in Santa Rosa last year. They lost their home in that fire, and it was part of what helped her get through the immediate aftermath.

  22. Julie, what a beautiful post.

    Among so many blessings to numerous to list, I’m grateful to have The Wickeds to read every morning. I used to look forward to the weekends, knowing I would have the days to myself. Now, I look forward to Monday and a new post. The Wickeds’ posts are beyond interesting and amusing, like today’s piece they frequently compel me to take a closer look at my life, and for that I’m … grateful!

  23. It seems like we are all so busy these days—we need to stop occasionally and give thanks for all the good things in our lives.

  24. I forget sometimes to stop and think about what I’m grateful for. Thanks for the reminder!

  29. This was a wonderful blog to see today, While I try to always be grateful, sometimes it is helpful to get a reminder. I’m really intrigued by your “pruning” title. It’s often hard to think about pruning, or being pruned, but that’s where new life begins. Thank you for your writing.

  31. Lovely, warm, kind thoughts, just like you. 🙂 Looking forward to the new series!

  32. I have so much to be thankful for, especially my family and friends and my cats, Hamilton and Jefferson. “Pruning the Dead” sounds like a great start to a new series. Looking forward to reading.

  33. As I get to the end of a challenging year on a number of levels, I find I’m also focusing on gratitude for so many good things. I think it makes a person stronger, more courageous. I greatly enjoyed the first book in your theater cop series and am anticipating the second. Also looking forward to this new series! Best of luck with it!
    -Melanie

  34. Your blog reminds me again I need to remember to practice gratitude. Thank to you and all the Wickeds who enrich our lives by sharing yours and writing so many books to make our time here more interesting and fun.

  35. I love the word grateful. It explains exactly how I feel for my parents and brother as they are my rock and support system during all my ups and downs. Looking forward to reading your new series.

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