HOW is it already halfway through November?! Thanksgiving is less than 2 weeks away! WHAT?!?!? So, let me get right down to business, and admit straight up, that I’m putting the brakes on jumping into all things Christmas and December. Like, I don’t want to wait to dive headfirst into the bright, festive colors, smells and sounds of December, but I want to wait. Feel me?

It’s SO TEMPTING, this year especially, to grab the tree, lights, brand spanking new inflatable snowman (thanks Mom and Dad ⛄♥️) and go CHRISTMAS-O NUTSO. All of Halloween went up a couple days before October, with the justification of “it’s for the kids, since everything is so wacky this year”. November is a different kind of vibe, though, and I don’t want to skip over, or rush, this month of gratitude. Who’s with me?

Here’s my plan, instead: Simply focus on each day in November, giving thanks for the mundane, overlooked, but meaningful things that add up to an overflowing bucket of blessings. I mean, we all usually go there, right, to a place of being overly and loudly grateful as we approach Thanksgiving? I don’t want to go through the motions, and be loud for the sake of being loud. I want my gratitude to be still, deep, and rich. Given our turbulent year, I think a PAUSE is essential to give gratitude the great big hug it deserves.

Thanks to my HUGE CRUSH, Pinterest (insert lovey eyes), I stumbled upon the idea of a sweet little white pumpkin where we will write our “thankful for’s”. At the end of the month, when we look back, we will see a pumpkin full of grace.

Here’s where you might even need to double, or triple, your pause ….. it’s not always easy to find reasons to be thankful, and you might be in that place right now. I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge the fact that life can be downright brutal and dark at times. While I enjoy sharing a fresh take on life, injecting a dose of light when and where ever I can, and overall shooting for sunny side up, I‘m not perfect, my life isn’t perfect, and I don’t strive for perfection. It’s a c h o i c e to seek out slivers of light, and moments to whisper “thank you” (Repeat, and then repeat again, key word is “choice”). If you’re not readily seeing those moments, or when you glance left and right and only see dark, consider these small things to remind you to take that pause:

  • make time for a sunset or sunrise, or both, take hold of the awe, and feeling of quiet
  • share a smile, or compliment, with a stranger, it tingles your heart
  • notice birds, or squirrels as they do their thing, not stressing about the moment
  • take a good look at a tree, even better sit under a tree, enjoy the strength that comes from years of facing the elements, day by day, standing tall
  • face the sun, feel the warmth on your skin, breathe deep
  • seek out water: creek, river, ocean, lake, and wonder at the ripples, waves or stillness, be refreshed by the consistency
  • gaze at the stars, marvel at the vastness of the sky
  • create a habit of conversing with others, really listening, and coming away from the conversation with a different perspective (that’s the enneagram 9 in me, but trust me, it’s a lovely space)

These things aren’t a cure all, by any means, nor will they take away the stressors in your life. HEAR ME, PLEASE! Please? When you step outside of yourself, I promise, and into noticing creation, or giving to others, (even if it’s “just” a freebie smile or kind word), it can create even a teeny change of momentum or perspective. Y’all, I have been in the tough place of NEEDING a shift, and dragging myself out of darkness, so I’m not spouting anything I haven’t been through. It’s in the PAUSE, where we speak gratitude and life, that we start seeing the light up ahead. Focus on the remainder of November (whether you have already pulled out Christmas, or are waiting, like me, I promise I’m not judging anyone :)). Breathe in thankfulness, and exhale all the rest.

With Sunbeams and Love,

Racheal Xx