Gratitude + Thanks: Reflections on 2014

As the holiday season unwinds, I realize I have many gifts to be thankful for — both the physical and the little blessings that are only felt by the heart. But perhaps the greatest gift of all is that of gratitude.

It’s a gift for yourself, and no one can take that away from you.

When you’re feeling particularly low, down or lonely, gratitude may be one of the only things that can pick you right back up. It’s like a gentle nudge of affection, telling you “Hey, it’s all going to be OK.” And with the snap of a finger, your day can take a complete 180 with the simple expression of gratitude. It’s that powerful.

Gratitude forces you to shift your perspective, to stop, pause and appreciate what it is you have to be thankful for. It helps you open up your eyes and honor the present. It fills you up with love. It gives you hope even when hope seems far away.

So as 2014 comes to an end, I’d like to take a moment and reflect upon what it is I have to be grateful for this year, and I urge you to do the same!

1. Marrying my brand new husband and love of my life Jason!

2. Being published in Indie Chick Magazine’s first ever print edition in January of 2014

3. The peace + clarity I feel when stepping onto my yoga mat.

4. Red wine after a long day.

5. Sushi date-nights

6. Having the opportunity to be New Balance’s blogger ambassador for their Girls Night Out campaign during the summer!

7. My one + only sister Krista who was the best maid of honor a gal could ask for

8. Best friends

9. Essential oils

10. Meditation

11. My blog readers + fans + all the kind emails and messages I receive from all of you

12. My mom + dad who stand by me through thick and thin, and pretty much singlehandedly planned our wedding!

13. My job at sweetgreen, especially the incredible people I’ve been blessed to meet along the way!

14. All the beautiful people in our lives, especially those who came out to celebrate our wedding day.

15. Our magical honeymoon to Hawaii

16. Coffee. Enough said.

17. Laughter

18. My man’s tacos, stir-fries, frittatas and roasted chicken

19. My health.

20. Good days + bad days…especially good days but bad days for appreciating the good days even more

21. yogi tea

22. Finding feathers in little secret places as a reminder that my grandmother is looking after me

23. My ability to run… and completing my 4th half marathon this year in Newport

24. My grandparent’s especially Grandma Mary’s pierogies and Grandpa John’s honey + stories

25. mason jars

26. kale

27. Sunshine

28. The Beatles

29. Our first dance to Snow Outside by Dave Matthew’s Band, a moment I will never forget

30. New memories.

31. Old memories

32. Having Jason’s mother Patty there with us to celebrate our wedding day

33. Leg-warmers

34. Gluten free pizza

35. Sharing my love + knowledge of health and wellness with others

36. My body + good food, and the fact that neither controls or upsets me any more

37. Making other people happy

38. The little things

39. Late-night snuggles while catching up on Modern Family, Homeland + Shark Tank

40. Bear hugs

41. My writing

42. CHEESE.

43. Family trips to the condo up north

44. Love that surrounds me daily

45. Happiness, family + all the other beautiful things in life

What are you grateful for this year? Write it down. Say it out loud. Share it. Express your gratitude!

2 Responses to “Gratitude + Thanks: Reflections on 2014”

  1. Healthy Chicks» Blog Archive » A shift in energy: do you give to yourself? Says:

    […] week I wrote about gratitude — on appreciating others and what you have. Isn’t it such a joy to be grateful for […]

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This entry was posted on Sunday, December 28th, 2014 at 12:44 pm and is filed under Lifestyle. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.