Violet Evergarden: Resilience Through Gratitude

 

Emerging from a war-torn past, Violet Evergarden began her new life as a scribe; lending her letter-writing services to the illiterate. Despite her more stable peacetime life, Violet still carried the pain of losing her father figure in her heart. Throughout the series, we see her wrestling with her emotional pain and gracefully soothing it with gratitude for her carers and friends. She truly blooms into the inspiration for her namesake; a resilient flower that grew alongside a military field.

Gratitude is a key factor in building resilience. With this mindset, we develop more emotional coping skills that help us to thrive under tough circumstances. our brains are geared towards focusing on opportunities instead of threats, in turn helping to moderate the stress we feel. We are also able to remember our support pillars in this time and ask for help. It’s important, however, to remember that practising gratitude doesn’t mean denying hardships. Healthy emotional coping involves keeping the positives in mind while acknowledging the challenges you are facing.

 

One of the best ways to cultivate a grateful mindset is to set aside time daily to reflect on the things you are grateful for, regardless of whether things are going well or not. Just as Violet expressed her feelings of gratitude through letter writing, you can also pen your gratitude in a journal. It doesn’t have to be a lot; you can start with just listing three things you are grateful for each day.

Here are also some questions you can ask yourself:

1. What am I truly grateful for in my life?
2. What relationships do I have that others don’t?
3. What do I take for granted?
4. What freedoms, unique abilities, and options do I have that others don’t?
5. What advantages have I been given in life?
6. Which allies and supporters have helped me to get to where I am?

 

Do you have a person that you are grateful for? Share this with that person and appreciate that person for what they have done for you.