Thirty Days of Thankfulness: Day Four - Clean Drinking Water

I'm thankful for clean drinking water. It's something that's so easy to take for granted if we have it. But the reality is that it's a privledge not afforded to all. UNICEF publishes some pretty alarming stats on the number of people who go without clean driking water every day. Depressing stuff, really. But the flipside is the hope that comes from seeing so many people and organizations who work tirelesly - day in and day out - to bring clean drinking water to those who don't have it. It's a worthy cause, to say the least.

On a completely different note, it amazes me how so many of us who DO have access to clean drinking water every day neglect to drink enough of it. Water is a powerful resource and so, so beneficial to our physical and mental health. A short list of some of the benefits of drinking water can be found here. Check it out if you're so inclined.

As I'm reflecting this month on all the things, people, ideas, places, feelings, etc. I'm thankful for, I'm seeking balance between the obvious and the less-obvious parts of my life. And as I was sitting down to enjoy a tall glass of water with my vitamins this morning, I couldn't help but see the ways in which this thankfulness exercise is already altering my outlook on things.

Cheers to that.

Thirty Days of Thankfulness: Day Three - College Friends

I'm spending the month of November reflecting on and writing about things I'm thankful for. Inspired to chart your own thankfulness journey? Leave a comment in the comments section below and I'll make sure to stop by your blog for some inspiration. :)

I'm thankful for my college friends. We are a close-knit, diverse group of women who were lucky enough to all be housed together as college freshmen. We bonded instantly, lived together for the better part of four years, and saw each other through some of the most transformational years of our lives to date.

All these years later, I still feel like my college friendships are some of the strongest in my life. Time and circumstances have created physical space between us, but whenever we have the opportunity to get together it's like no time has passed at all. They serve as a powerful reminder that it's not important to have "a certain number of people in your life, just a number of people you can be certain of."

It's comforting to have people in your world who knew you when...

Do Something Today That Your Future Self Will Thank You For

Volunteer.

Start an exercise program.

Commit to eating more whole, plant-based foods.

Forgive someone for a past mistake.

Forgive yourself.

Take that leap of faith and start your own business.

Help revive an existing one.

Believe in yourself.

Believe in others.

Reach out a hand.

Smile more.

Become important in the life of a child.

Speak up for yourself.

Speak up for someone else who can't.

Listen more.

Love more.

Dream more.

Live more.

Thirty Days of Thankfulness: Day Two - My Parents

I'm spending the month of November reflecting on and writing about things I'm thankful for. Inspired to chart your own thankfulness journey? Leave a comment in the comments section below and I'll make sure to stop by your blog for some inspiration. :)

I have really awesome parents. Seriously, I do. I have a dad who will call me at 6 in the morning, excitement ringing in his voice, just to tell me about something he recently read that he thinks I need to know about. And I have a mom who will spend an entire weekend rock climbing with me and a bunch of other 20 and 30-something women.

My parents have taught me some of the most important lessons through the examples they live every day. My dad has taught me, time and time again, to always seek new horizons. He's continued to pursue creative ventures, take risks, and live from his heart. And my mom has instilled in me the importance of taking care of myself and my health. I eat well because she eats well and I exercise daily because she has always set that example for me.

When I was a child, my parents had a way of always making me feel like my goals and aspirations mattered. And as I've become an adult, their unwavering support in my journey through this life makes me, above all else, incredibly thankful.

So as I walk through life, I feel indebted to them always. On my best days, I hope to live out their values and make them proud. And during those times when I stumble, I know that they'll be there to help pick me up and carry me through to brighter days. They've shown me the most unselfish type of love. Always and without condition. So, so thankful...

Thirty Days of Thankfulness: Day One - Sailing

I'm spending the month of November reflecting on and writing about things I'm thankful for. Inspired to chart your own thankfulness journey? Leave a comment in the comments section below and I'll make sure to stop by your blog for some inspiration. :)

I'm thankful that I spent a lot of time as a child on a sailboat. I think the time instilled in me a deep love of the water and an appreciation for all things natural. When many 18-month-olds were at home in pack-and-play contraptions, I was jumping off the bow of my family's small sailboat and swimming to shore. I was spending days upon days with my toes in the sand and my hair in the wind.

My family wasn't wealthy when I was growing up, but my parents always made a point of putting what money they did have towards what they valued most - and one of these things just happened to be giving us experiences sailing. We even lived on our 27-foot sailboat in Florida for a short time. And we spent the better part of our weekends when living in Florida exploring the intercostal waterways. My family remains close-knit to this day and I think that's in small part due to the fact that when by brother and I were growing up we spent so much time together in close quarters with our parents on a boat.

To this day, there's nothing - absolutely nothing - that makes me feel at peace the way being on a sailboat does. Hearing nothing but the waves lapping and seeing nothing but the endless horizon just calms me to the core. And it lets me know that no matter how far I may travelhe from the ocean, eventually I'll always be drawn back to one of my very first loves.

So I'm thankful to my parents for always valuing simple experiences and family time above the latest fashions or the most extravagant vacations.