What I Am Most Thankful for This Thanksgiving

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Today is Thanksgiving, but it might as well be December 25th at my house because I already decorated yesterday, while baking cookies and listening to Christmas music, as is my tradition. There is something about tiny, twinkling lights that fills my heart with so much joy. As I sit here staring at my cute little tree, I recognize that I have so much to be grateful for this year. 

 It's hard to believe how well things are going for me lately, until I realize that nothing about my circumstances has changed. I still live in the same house, I have the same job, I'm married to the same man, and I still tuck in the same two (wonderful) tiny humans everyday.

So what's changed? Me. My perspective.

A while ago I decided that I would only see the good, both in the people surrounding me and in any situation that I'm faced with. That word, decided, sounds super official and definite, right? As if I made the decision and my life has never been the same since. Well, it wasn't quite that simple. It took time and effort, and to this day I have to consciously work at it, but I can honestly say that, with time, it has gotten easier. 

 I used to take other people's feelings personally, and get easily irritated with the simple, everyday stresses (getting everyone ready and out the door on time being at the very, very top of that list). But now? I realize that other people's feelings are really none of my business and the things that once bothered me just don't anymore.

The day I'd had enough of being perpetually grumpy, I started by actually listing out three good things that I would focus on each day. Eventually, the list grew to 5, and with time I started to wonder why I would ever choose to focus on anything other than the good things. Soon enough, all I could see was the positive, because I made no room for the negative. Focusing on the good things in my life brought me so much peace that I now protect it like a tiny, newborn baby bird. (Have you ever seen one? They're adorable!)

My life is far from perfect. Negative things happen everyday (seriously, my morning routine with my kids is a hot mess on wheels) but I don't let them dictate my thoughts or impact how the rest of my day goes. It takes conscious effort, especially on days when one crappy thing after another happens, but the key is to remember that the person I need to love and protect more than anyone in the world is myself. 

 I have so much to be grateful for this year: My family is healthy, we have an adorable place to live, my husband and I both have jobs that allow us to provide for our babies. But what I am most grateful for is the one thing that no person or situation can take away: my peace.
(Me and the twinkling lights that make me so happy!)
(Side Note: This is a judgment-free zone, so no making fun of my just-woke-up face, K?)

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