Hi readers! With Thanksgiving coming up TOMORROW, I'm putting a quick pause on the fashion content to reflect on what it means to be thankful.
This post is a reminder for both my readers and myself of how to be thankful and grateful and mean it. It's one thing to post a photo on Instagram of an ocean sunset or a fat piece of pizza with the caption #blessed- but beyond all the fun and silly stuff that we recognize on social media, how can we come back to being thankful for the bigger picture?
I don't know about you, but this year has been full of some really big ups and some really big downs. I find that some of the bad stuff usually likes to show up toward the end of the year to test us the most, which leads our brains to believe the entire year was a let down just because the end is fresh in our minds. (This has happened far too often on my end. How about you?)
That's why I believe Thanksgiving comes at the perfect time of year to remind us that things are actually pretty great if you take the time to reflect on your blessings.
November is my time to recenter; to slow down and take it all in. Life has been knocking me around quite a bit these days, as well as hitting some of my closest friends pretty hard. I am FAR from perfect, but I do my best to find the good within the chaos.
Here are a few things that help me to be thankful and grateful and mean it:
Slow down and breathe.
I am a naturally high-energy person who is constantly going, doing and worrying. I make myself crazy and literally have to have a pep talk with myself to SLOW THE HECK DOWN. If you're like me or just have a very busy lifestyle, it's easy to lose track of ourselves along the way. Slowing down even for just a half hour each day is a way to put down stress and negative energy and focus on personal well being. Take a deep breath and find something positive from your day, even if it's something as simple as loving the outfit your wearing at the moment. Slowing down is the perfect way to bring yourself back to reality; the reality where you're not worried about every little thing. People who meditate are really onto something, right?
Reflect on your favorite memories.
I use this trick a lot; I'm a perfectionist at heart, so I get EASILY stressed when things don't go according to plan (AKA the plan I make up in my head). If Adam and I go to one of our favorite restaurants and there's a long wait and we're HANGRY, I do my best to think of the last time we were there and all the laughs we had over a good meal, and I'm thankful for the moment all over again. Do this type of reflection OFTEN.
Do something nice for someone you know.
Doing things for others is what this time of year is all about really, and I'm not just talking about gift giving. Making your mom some hot chocolate as a treat or texting your friends to let them know you're thinking of them are small gestures that I can guarantee will warm their heart and yours. What better way to remind yourself that you are blessed than to tell your loved ones they're a blessing in your life?
Do something nice for someone you don't know.
Doing something for others you don't even know is HUGE and just as important. It can be as simple as smiling at someone you pass in the hallway or sharing a compliment with a total stranger. Each Thanksgiving, I pick up food at the store and drop it off at my local food pantry because it makes me feel AWESOME. I don't get to see who goes home with my donations, but just the idea that someone can enjoy Thanksgiving as much as I do helps me to feel extra grateful.
Count your blessings.
Tale as old as time, right? But we don't do it enough, and we SHOULD. And I mean LITERALLY count your blessings! Write them down and total them up. Your list will keep growing and you can add to it and reread it when you need a dose of perspective during a hard time.
Say THANK YOU.
The easiest thing, so you're probably already doing it! (If not, don't be THAT guy.) Saying thank you not only says "I appreciate what you've done," but it also says "I am thankful for who you are."
*****
It is so gosh darn EASY to lose sight of your blessings when the world starts to turn on you. But it is also so gosh darn easy to be thankful and grateful AND mean it. Let's do it together.
Love you. Mean it.
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