The Thankful One

November holds no secrets. The mystic whimsy swirls away with the leaves and we are left with the bones. The claws of bare branches reach towards the sky, worshipping the perfect, crisp blue or scratching the foggy gray blanket of autumnal storm clouds. Look up and take in the stark contrast. What do you feel?

November demands that we sing praises. The message of thankfulness runs unchecked through our lives, but with no real root in gratitude. No anchor in true, accountable thanks giving. That can leave us feeling less than thankful and giving expressions without feeling. The root of gratitude is intention. Being intentionally grateful is more than just scribbling “my family” on a little construction paper leaf that your mom laid next to your dinner plate. It means taking stock. Noticing, not just what you’re grateful for, but why. When you think about a person or place you want to express gratitude toward, what do you feel in your heart? In your tummy? Do you swell with pride? Are you humbled by the example? Do you actually recognize what gratitude feels like? 

These are all things you can practice feeling day in and day out. I could call this month “No Thanks November” in the sense that your thanks mean nothing if they only happen once a year. Being intentional demands more of us. Friends, it’s time. Get a new journal-it will actually be the one that changes your life. That is, if you follow the plan. If you commit to gratitude and intentionality.

Years ago, at a job I don’t have anymore, I learned something that did genuinely change my life. A practice in daily mindfulness with three key questions that force you to really look at what matters each day. You’ll have one thing to recognize as a steadfast importance in your life. You’ll have one thing that has been weighing on you. Something you can’t change, but could change you. A thing you can choose to release. Lastly, you’ll have one thing to bring into focus for the day. A goal, an intention. 

“A quick journal prompt that takes less than five minutes that does all that!? No way!” (That’s you talking, there.)

"Yes! I swear it. Just a few minutes can alter the whole course of your day! I mean it! Get a journal! Go!" (Back to me, again.) 

Now, you may not know this, but I’m a teacher on the side. Each day, every student writes in a journal:

I am grateful for….(fill in the blank)

I will let go of….(fill in the blank)

I will focus on…..(fill in the blank)

As their teacher, I make a point to complete the same prompts and display my answers. They don’t have to be big or over the top. These can be simple, quiet things. It’s the practice that matters, the intention. A short set of questions that lays bare what is on your heart. A shortcut to your priorities for the day. The values you want to bring to the forefront. 

Would you like the opportunity to be more connected to your heart each day?

To know where your values will guide you?

To take the power to set your burdens down?

Being intentional with your gratitude helps your roots grow deeper, and makes your expression more clear. It matters.

November has expectations. Rise to the occasion with daily, intentional gratitude. Check in on yourself. Identify what you’re carrying that weighs too much. Choose one goal to put your energy towards. Explore how it feels to make space for yourself, your feelings, the things that make your heart flutter. Tell your people, appreciate your places, admire your treasures. Don’t keep joy a secret. 

If this practice speaks to you, here’s a way to join in — a gentle daily ritual to hold gratitude close, to release what weighs you down, and to move through each day with quiet intention.

This is meant to be simple — a quiet space to meet yourself with honesty and care. All you need is a journal that feels right in your hands, a pen that glides easily, and a few calm minutes to sit with your thoughts.

To Begin

Choose a journal that speaks to you. It might be one that’s waited patiently on a shelf or one with fresh, unmarked pages. Turn to your next open page and write today’s date at the top.

Be accountable — but more than that, become a record keeper of your own becoming.

The Practice

On the page, write three lines:

I am grateful for...

I will let go of...

I will focus on...

Take a few slow, deep breaths. Let each prompt rest in your mind for a moment before you write.

To Deepen

Feel your gratitude. If it ties to a person, tell them.If it connects to a place or thing, experience it with intention today.

Truly release what you’ve written to let go of — even just for a little while. Mean it enough to notice the lightness that follows.

And when you write what you’ll focus on, ask yourself: What does it look like to live this choice today? What might need to shift to make room for it?

To Carry Forward

Return to these three lines each day this month. Write something new. Let it change with you. Small acts, repeated, become transformation.