Today is a day for giving thanks.  I woke from my bed this morning feeling emotional and challenged. During my daily practice of gratitude, I thought about Thanksgiving.  In that moment, I chose to see Thanksgiving for what it means to me.  

I’m not American, and I often forget about Thanksgiving until the week before. However, I see my gratitude for my life in all its iterations, whether in its present state of being up or down, life going the way I want or not. No matter what, I’m grateful.

I’m grateful for the fantastic opportunities I’ve had this year. Thankful for love, for being in a relationship, which at times was beautiful and other times not.  Grateful for learning to keep my heart open when at times I wanted to put it in a vault, slam the door, and keep it there.

I’m grateful for having the opportunity to expand my capacity to give and receive love and be open in ways that I never thought possible.  

I’m grateful to have loved people who have not always enjoyed my friendship the way I wanted, yet accepting that they loved me the way they could. (I’ve been that person; now I have a view from both sides). I’m thankful for my family and for my brothers, even though their love is distant and may appear cold.

I’m grateful for the people and friendships that are no longer physically present in my life- friends who have supported me with my dreams no matter what. When times were not so good or great, you were not forgotten and the memories we created will always live in my cells – for they have helped me grow into the person that I am today.

I’m grateful for my health, for my inner strength to manage, accept, and control my diabetes, for being able to make myself right whereas before I would have trashed myself for failing and given up altogether.  

I’m grateful for my amazing clients who provide me with financial security, for their love and their families, taking themselves on in ways that have empowered them and the people around them to be open and live in the unlived parts of their lives.  I’m grateful to have a career that I’m in love with and to be appreciated by clients, old and new, as well as the ones that I haven’t met yet.  

I’m grateful to know love and to receive love; it must be given with no thought of its return. Love is my gift for which no return is demanded.

I’m grateful for my economic challenges, for learning and putting into practice the understanding that money is a means to acquire goods and services and not an actual measure of my worth.

I’m grateful for all the books that I’ve read and for the authors, teachers, lovers, and friends who contributed to my dreams for if my dreams didn’t manifest, I wouldn’t expand.

Giving thanks. I give thanks for the power to love, think, laugh, imagine, create, plan, and speak.  I give thanks for honoring my gifts.  I can choose to cry for unfulfilled dreams, let failure beat me down or let circumstances trample my self-esteem and sacrifice my potential for the illusion of security, but I choose not to. I honor my individuality. Thank you for my humanity and the humanity of us all on this planet.  

This Thanksgiving, find one thing you can authentically be thankful for and share it with another soul.

Not sure what you’re thankful for? Reach out to me, and we can talk about it! Visit my website www.noreensumptercoach.com and make an appointment for a FREE 15 minute call and I’m positive we’ll find plenty of things to be grateful for!

Love yourself! Until next time!

Noreen Sumpter | The Potentiator |

Personal Life Coach