Thanksgiving is next week! It’s the time of year when we all think about what we are thankful for. This year hasn’t been like any other. And in a lot of ways, I think that means feeling gratitude now is more important than ever. Through a lot of lows there have been some wonderful highs, and I think it can be helpful to recall both when giving thanks this holiday season. This year, I want to focus on going beyond gratitude and really giving life to the things I’m thankful for.
It’s one thing to be thankful for something, and another to nourish the things you’re thankful for. This year I want to focus on intention and take my gratitude one step further!
What are you thankful for?
I always try to think of the small things along with the big things! I’m thankful for my kids, my family, my boyfriend, my business, Idaho, my friends, and my garden. Those are big things, but to think smaller, I’m thankful for the times my kids give me an unsolicited hug. The summer days at my dad’s house. All of the adventures with Nate. The amazing people on my team. The endless wilderness to explore in my home state. The stupid laughs with my friends. The peace I feel while spending a morning in my garden.
This year has been harder on some than others, but as a whole we’ve all had some struggles. Through it all, try to think about what you’re thankful for. The essential workers, nurses on the front lines, the teachers trying their hardest, and so many others that we should all be eternally grateful for.
How can you go beyond gratitude?
How can you spend the next year nourishing the things you’re thankful for? I want to take more photos of my kids as they are right now, before I blink and they are teenagers. I want to tell my family exactly how much I appreciate them. I want to plan more adventures with Nate, and make sure he feels how grateful I am for him. I want to make sure I thank my team as much as possible for helping me make an impact on so many amazing people. I want to plan more trips in the outdoors, and do more things I haven’t done before. I want to tell my friends I love them more. I want to continue to put my heart into my garden.
While this year has been extremely hard, it’s also shown so much kindness in people. I want to be extra kind to strangers, just in case they need it. I want to donate more, and focus on more acts of service. I want to show so much gratitude to my kids’ teachers for what they’ve been through this year. Overall, I want to put as much positivity in the world as I can.
It’s such a great mindset practice to feel gratitude. But overall, I want to go beyond that as much as I can. I not only want to be thankful, I want to nourish the things in my life that I’m thankful for.
On that topic, thank YOU so much for being here! All of you, my followers and friends, who believe in me enough to be reading this. You all mean more to me than I’ll ever be able to tell you!
Tell me, what are you thankful for (both big and small)? How can you go beyond gratitude this year?
xo Natalie
