The month of November marks the beginning of the Holiday Season for many people, including me. I have always loved this time of year, especially when I can surround myself with family and friends. It fills my heart with peace, love and gratitude.

So, it irked me a little (well, more than a little) when the commercials for Christmas gift-giving started on the first day of November. Really?

It got me thinking about what this time of year should really mean. I mean, really, when we start commercializing Christmas on the first day of November, we’ve already said Thanksgiving isn’t as important. We’re also sending the message that Christmas is all about giving gifts. We’re also sending a message that giving thanks and being grateful happens only once a year.

Nothing is further from the truth.

Yes, Thanksgiving is about giving thanks and being grateful for what we have. But, I like to spend a little time every morning in gratitude. As part of my morning mindset routine, I like to write down what I’m grateful for — big or small.

I didn’t always have that morning mindset but now that I do, my days are much more positive. I’m more peaceful, more calm and more focused.

But, I wasn’t always that way. It was easy to be grateful when things were going my way. But, when I was thrown into a major life transition where my world seemed to be turned upside down, it was much, much harder to see anything good. Leaving my corporate career, selling my dream home and living out of boxes for ten months took its toll on my emotional, mental and physical health. I lost my sense of purpose.

Let’s face it. It’s hard to be grateful for much of anything when you’re feeling you’ve lost something — or everything.

Here’s what I learned. Even then, I had a lot to be thankful for. I just needed to focus on that. I needed to embrace the change and look for the blessings. I know it sounds easy, and we all know it’s not. But, it truly is important.

So, for me, yes, we were living out of boxes, but we were living with a family member and had the opportunity to spend precious time with her we otherwise wouldn’t have had. We have fond memories of our time spent together.

Yes, I had sold my dream home, but in reality it had become way too much for us and it was time. Now, I have a lovely home in a location closer to family and friends. We no longer have to spend a whole day in good and bad driving conditions to visit family and friends.

Yes, I had left my corporate career, but that opened up a whole new set of possibilities for me to live my next chapter by design, not default.

Change is inevitable. Embrace it. Be grateful for the blessings in your life and look forward to what the next chapter has to offer. Start a gratitude journal and write in it every day. Then, when Thanksgiving rolls around, give thanks the same way you do every other day. I promise your life will be filled with peace, love and appreciation for all the good things that have come your way.

After all, why focus on the negative. Life’s too short for that.

If you’re looking for more mindset ideas, grab your copy of my FREE template that reveals the #1 secret to living each day by design without feeling overwhelmed. Enjoy your journey!