A Time to Reflect and Give Thanks

Last night I worked on my business newsletter that goes out to all of my clients and business leaders in my organization - I always include a section about the past month in the life of the Huber's - but to be honest, not too many exciting things happened during the month of November.  However, a lot happened during the year of 2011 as I reflected on the past year.  It's important to "look back" on the past and move forward with an even better attitude and plan of action and it's necessary to make changes in the present instead of repeating what didn't work in the past.  That's the only way to change your future! 

So, here's what reflecting and giving thanks means to me as told in my November 2011 Healthy Habits Newsletter. 

What an amazing, yet challenging year 2011 has been and, my goodness, there is so much to be thankful for in carrying out this adventure we call life!  Each day I remind myself that God put me on this earth with a purpose in His mind, and it’s my duty to carry that out for Him.  Knowing that this is true is comforting and puts life in perspective for me—it’s what encourages me to get out of bed each day, to be the mother that our little Brighton deserves, to be the good wife that Shawn married, to be the daughter that my parents raised, to be the sister that supports her sibling, to be the friend that stays in touch, to be the smile to a perfect stranger and to be the business owner that others trust and want to do business with month after month.  And, you know what?  I’ve realized that it really is just that simple.  One evening a couple of months back, I was watching an Oprah television show on her new OWN network, I think it was called “Oprah’s Master Class”, and she was speaking about a young man who passed away with his mother by his side holding his hand, and his final words were, “It was so simple.”  I’ve never forgotten those four little words and every time I’m afraid to pick up the phone to do a follow-up, or approach a new friend at the gym, or feel like I could have done more, or made the wrong decision, or got mad for a petty reason I remind myself that one day that will be me taking my last breath, holding someone’s hand saying, “It was so simple.”  I heard that message at the right time, at a time when I was experiencing so many changes— I was a new Mom to a baby girl, experiencing postpartum depression, a new business owner in an industry I knew nothing about, no longer a teacher in room 713, no boss to report to at 7:30 am, out of shape and couldn’t fit into any of my jeans. So, what’s a girl to do?  The answer is simple.  Just do it.  Do it with grace, gratitude, kindness, love, trust, laughter, confidence, class, and better than you did the day before.  On most days throughout the year we tend to forget to give thanks for all of our many blessings, so I challenge you to give thanks on Thanksgiving and every day thereafter to your family—no   matter how big or small, your pets—even when they do their business on the carpet, your friends—even when they don’t keep in touch, your job—even when you don’t get a raise, your home—even when it’s not our dream home, and your health which we should all be taking care of at all times.  Cheers to giving thanks!