November. The month that is home to Thanksgiving. The holiday that can be semi-overlooked due to the hype of people looking forward to Christmas instead. (I’m guilty of this from time to time even.) The month that has the holiday you get to eat the most food surrounded by your family and friends then you all head out to shop for all the bargain deals. Throughout all that chaos and hype in between the holidays, people tend to just reflect on what they are thankful for ON Thanksgiving instead of every day. When in turn, when you practice daily gratitude not just ON Thanksgiving, but every day it is proven to help us bring positive emotions and helps to boost self-esteem. Recognizing what you are grateful for will bring to your realization that you have SO much to be thankful for. I try to practice this trait daily, whether I write it down in my gratitude journal or whether I reflect on it before bed or while I am cooling down after my workout or simply walking to school or driving to work. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays just for the fact that it highlights giving thanks so well – shocker I know!
Here is what I am truly, unbelievably thankful for this fine Thanksgiving:
My Family
My family is my everything. They are my biggest supporters, the biggest cheerleaders in absolutely everything I do. My parents are like Superman and Wonder Woman to me. While having four kids and juggling full-time jobs, I still wonder how they do it. These two have been there for me through everything, never missing a hockey game, softball game, volleyball game, piano recitals, band concerts, art shows, you freaking name it. If either I or any of my siblings were in it, my parents were always there cheering us on. Not to mention while I look back on it, they didn’t HAVE to go to any of those things. They went to all those activities whether it was five minutes away from home or three hours away from home, they went to those activities because they loved myself and my siblings endlessly. They are still my number ones whenever I get a good grade on a test, if I made a personal record running or whatever may pop into my head, they will both be the first to know. Recently, I ran my first half marathon and seeing both my parents and my two sisters at spots along the route helped keep me going. Seeing their smiling faces and knowing they were rooting for me helped more than anything. Not only am I thankful for just my parents, but also my siblings. As we have grown up, we have all grown into such unique and beautiful adults both inside and out. My brother and my sister-in-law and both my sisters have continually been my biggest cheerleaders as well. My whole family both immediate or not has always been there with love, support, wisdom, laughs and everything in between. I am thankful and so very gracious for it all.
My Boyfriend
After two and a half years, this man still takes my breath away. I can’t say enough good things about my boyfriend. He is my rock, my shoulder to lean on, my adventure, my home, and my absolute best friend. He is one of the smartest, kindest, most caring and humble guys I know. He believes in me when sometimes I lack the belief in myself. He pushes me past my comfort zone in ways that challenge me to be a better person. He continually makes me laugh with or without reason. He never tries to change me and he loves every piece of me while continually reassuring me of that. I definitely don’t thank him enough for all he does and has done for me nor could I EVER thank him enough for all he does for me. We have experienced the absolute best of times together and we have experienced the hardest of times together, but through it all, I always know he is by my side and our relationship just continues to grow that much more. I am so lucky to love him and feel so very loved back by him. I am so proud of the man he is and the man he is becoming. I cannot wait to see him accomplish all he is set out to accomplish and I will be proudly standing right next to him with the biggest smile on my face. I am blessed beyond belief. I love this man oh so very much.
My Friends
You know who you are girls. Whether we have been best friends for numerous, numerous years and we know every secret about each other and know each other like the back of our hands or whether we have been friends just a couple months, years or weeks, you all hold a piece of my heart. These ladies are the smartest, most strong-willed women I know. I’m telling you, each and every one of them WILL move mountains someday and I can assure you of that. I am thankful our paths have crossed and we have been able to experience some of the best years of our lives together and make the absolute best memories. We have experienced the highest of highs with each other filled with lots of laughs that turned into belly aches and we have been through the lowest of lows together when sometimes we just needed someone to hug us while wiping our tears away. I cherish all those memories and cherish you all so much. Although graduation is right around the corner for us and some of us are going separate ways, I know no matter where you go, what you do or who you are with. You will all THRIVE and succeed. I know it. I love you ladies so much.
My College
Yup. You read that right. I am thankful for the opportunity to receive an education. I believe at the college level this tends to get overlooked among all the stress that school can bring. But college has brought me so much more than stress, homework, late nights and dealing with finals. College has brought me professors that make learning fun and validate my decision in the major I am pursuing. It has brought me to clubs I would have never had the confidence to join otherwise. It has brought me some of the greatest and smartest people. College really is some of the best years and it goes all too fast. Last, but certainly not least, college brought me the love of my life and the absolute best of friends. Grateful for Minnesota State University, Mankato being my home for the last four years.
My Jobs
I have held a couple of jobs throughout my college career. I started out working at Aeropostale, moved to Old Navy, added on working at a daycare, quit the daycare, added working at a local boutique, quit Old Navy and landed an internship at a real estate office. Throughout all these experiences I have made loads of friends, learned how to deal with rude customers, found my passion for sales, soaked in all the baby snuggles at the daycare, started applying what I was learning in school into my job and lastly, learned more about myself than ever. I believe each job experience has shaped me into the woman I am today and without each experience, I wouldn’t be who I am today. I’m thankful beyond words for the opportunities at both my current jobs and how I work with some of the most kindest, selfless people I know. Both my bosses are the most giving human beings I know, I am so blessed to have such wonderful mentors and strong women to look up to, both career-wise but also life-wise.
My “Me-Time”
I am thankful for the time I dedicate and invest in myself. I am thankful I have the drive, passion, and ability to work out and move my body six days a week. Although it isn’t easy getting up in the morning every morning, I am always thankful I do. I am thankful for personal development books and podcasts that I can apply to my life, this not only helps me but it helps the relationships with my friends, family, and others around me. I believe everyone should find at least half an hour a day to invest in themselves. Whether that is meditation, working out, reading a book or simply going for a walk. At the end of the day, all you have is yourself and yourself is your BIGGEST investment. I am thankful I have the ability to move my body. Not everyone truly realizes that there are some people that only wish to have the ability that you have. Embrace it and be thankful for the fact that you have a healthy body.
These are just some of my favorite things to reflect on while I reflect on my gratitude daily. Even if you don’t necessarily write down your daily gratifications, just simply being aware of what you are grateful for, will help shift your mind. The list could have gone on forever and ever, but these all have shaped me into me, supported me, taught me, challenged me and MADE me the woman I am today. This Thanksgiving, I challenge you to try and practice some gratitude. Not just on Thanksgiving, but every day. It is so easy to have blinders up and not truly realize what you all have to be thankful for. I understand that the Holiday season brings mounds of hustle and bustle and busy-ness, all I am asking of you is to take five short minutes to write down or reflect three things you are grateful for each day. This is not only going to make you more optimistic and bring you positive emotions but throughout your days now, you’ll be searching for those three things that you are thankful for – in result making yourself more aware of your surroundings.
So go eat lots of turkey, shop your tail off and have a splendid day surrounded by friends and family. What are you grateful for today?
Happy Thanksgiving!