I love the fall. I love the crispness in the air and way the leaves rustle when you walk through them. And I’m so grateful that this year, after 15 years of living in the desert, I’m getting to experience the entire season of fall, not just a weekend here or there.

And as much as I love the month of October, for me, November is like the hidden gem of Autumn. Thanksgiving is just a little more than two weeks away and I can already taste the pumpkin pie and fresh made cranberry sauce. And while Thanksgiving is high on my list of “why I love November”… it’s not at the top. What I love most about November is that it feels like the beginning of a slow down. The start of a hibernation of sorts. As the holidays approach we become more reflective. We focus on our families. We think about what we’re thankful for.

What are you thankful for? Does an endless list come to mind, or do you struggle to find even a few? Have you ever taken the time to write down what you’re thankful for? To put pen to paper and craft a list? If you haven’t, I encourage you to. It’s not a competition and there’s no award for a list that goes on for days… but there is the reward that comes when you consciously make the effort to live with an “attitude of gratitude.” From the air in your lungs to the roof over your head, finding thankfulness, even in the most difficult of times, can be like finding the key to your freedom from a prison of sorrow and angst.

My encouragement to you as we jump in to November is to write that list.