My what a difference a year makes. I distinctly remember Thanksgiving a year ago to the day and the overwhelming feeling I had, like no other I’d ever allowed myself to experience before. It was warm and gooey, it fully swallowed me up and knocked my feet out from under me. It was the best feeling I’d ever had and I couldn’t quite name it.

I walked home from yoga, trying to pin point it exactly. Love? Sure, but more than that. Happiness? Definitely, but something was missing. I realized that I loved and was so happy with everything in my life, both the good and bad. I was so fortunate to be back in the city I called home, with my family and friends, employed with a purpose, in a new relationship, and finding my true self. It smacked me across the face suddenly, yo ding dong, this is what gratitude feels like. This is what Thanksgiving is really about.

Tears sprung out of nowhere, but they were the happy kind which is something else that I’ve never allowed. The rest of my walk home was in awe of this incredible feeling I’d never really opened up to and the point in my life I decided I never wanted to let it go.

This Thanksgiving I walked home from yoga, letting the feeling of gratitude consume me again, full on dancing down the street. This past year has 100% been the best year yet, and I’ve had some fucking good years. On paper though, you wouldn’t necessarily draw that conclusion. I was dealt the unemployment card (again), parted ways from close friends, and ended a relationship to name a few things. The difference between this year and the ones before it though, was the attitude of gratitude I clung to through the ups and downs.

Gratitude is not something you have to wait for to smack you across the face. It’s something you can practice everyday. It’s as simple of taking one minute a day to think of three things you’re thankful for that day. The biggest shift I made this past year was to drop the victim act. It’s not cute, k folks? Instead of resenting the things I didn’t have in my life, being salty about things I can’t control and focusing my energy in a neggy direction I decided to switch it up.

Let’s be happy about the things that I do have, because in all honesty it’s a lot more than most. There are only a few things you can control in life: how much you move your body, what you put in your mouth, how you spend your cash and your attitude. That’s about it. So let’s focus on blowing these things out of the water. And above all else, keep everything in a positive light. Stand in a place of gratefulness. Everything always seems to work out for the best anyway despite how bad it may feel now, so when you lean into that, trust it from the beginning…things seem to work out even better and the journey along the way is much more enjoyable.

So here’s to the best year yet, knowing that I won’t accept anything less.

Things I’m super duper grateful to have in my life:
Family, yoga, burpees, my fully functioning legs, wine, lululemon, dirty chais, sun, crossfit, pumpkin pie, music and all the peeps who put it out there, new friends and old, vinyasa scarfs, a beautiful home in one of the world’s best cities, sweat, snow, books, water, my sweet bike, hot showers, and FaceTime just to name a few.