With Thanksgiving just around the corner, everyone is looking forward to eating as much as possible — trust me, I am too, but this is a gentle reminder that Thanksgiving isn’t all about going in for guilt-free seconds. Whether you spend this holiday in a traditional way with your family at a nicely decorated table with adorable placemats, or in a more non-conventional way like going on vacation or spending the day in your pajamas (you win, tbh), it’s important to be thankful.
Often we find ourselves caught up in how overwhelming and stressful day-to-day life is. We forget to think about the things we should be grateful for, no matter how big or small. Thanksgiving season is a great time to take a step back, ground ourselves, and take time to give all the positives in our lives some recognition. You don’t always have to look for things as big as a dream job, an epic trip or material gifts to be thankful for (although by all means, be grateful for those). It’s in the little things; be grateful for the friend you randomly saw and made you smile, be grateful for the cute puppy that passed you on campus the other day, be grateful for the music you like to listen to. Learning to appreciate life’s small wins will make for a much happier and comfortable mental state, so take time this season to value things you may have been overlooking.
With that being said, these are a few of the many things I’m thankful for (including but not limited to): my incredible parents, my chihuahua Princess and my doggy angel Choco, Florida’s definition of winter, having a plate of food every night, friends who have taught me to love life even more than before, randomly finding love when I was least expecting it, concerts, cute places to take pictures, little kids and their brutal honesty, my Disney annual pass, sunsets over the water, small businesses, my fuzzy Christmas socks, shows from our childhood recirculating, forgiveness, stumbling upon pretty flowers, and everyone who reads and supports my articles.
And a special shoutout to Her Campus — an organization that has opened so many doors for me, but most importantly, introduced me to some of the best people I have met in my life.
Go randomly surprise someone by telling them why they’re special to you or why you appreciate them or do something for yourself to appreciate your own successes. Remember to be thankful all year round, but just a little bit extra this week.