Thanksgiving. Today is the final day of my 21-day Gratitude Challenge and the assignment is to reflect on what the process of giving thanks has meant to me.

This concentrated and shared focus on appreciation has meant expanding my awareness of the things I take for granted every day. It has meant opening my heart more broadly to others—and to myself. It has meant pushing past the fears generated by my gremlin to allow myself to show up as the broader version of me. It has meant seeing the things right in front of me from a new perspective, and seeing the world as a more vibrant, abundant, loving, and wondrous place.

I am ending this challenge with an expanded mind and heart, and an even deeper connection to Source (God, the Universe, Nature, Higher Coach—whatever works for you.)

We each may have our own beliefs about what is behind the abundance of air that we breathe in and out, or the continual beat of our hearts, or the perfect rotation of the planets, or the predictable rise of the sun. We may have a different way of explaining the exquisite site of a flock of birds moving as one to their seasonal home, or the ever-changing beauty of the landscape, or the growth of a giant oak from a tiny acorn.

But we can all share in the appreciation of those magnificent sights and experiences. We can share in the gratitude we feel because we are alive. We can give thanks because we are here with one another doing our best to love and grow and become the people we know we are meant to be.

Consistently focusing on gratitude expands our awareness and experiences of life, enhances our connections with others, and widens the boundaries of our hearts. These are gifts we can’t return, a new perspective we cannot lose, and a new vantage point from which to approach our lives.

Because I find focusing on appreciation so profound, today also marks my new commitment to practice giving thanks every day.

What does focusing on gratitude give to you? How much of a difference might it make in your life? How might you practice giving thanks on a regular basis?

Wishing you Happy Thanksgiving!

Together we can do it!