In the craziness of life and its events, it’s easy to become wrapped up in life’s complications and fall blind to all the blessings it offers.
And with so much going on over the holiday season, from trying to meet yearly sales quotas to organizing Christmas parties, we can easily miss out on this perfect opportunity to express gratitude.
But as the year winds down, I find myself reflecting a lot on all that has transpired in the past 12 months. In this post, I’d like to share some of the thoughts going through my mind, especially on the things in my life that I’m most grateful for during this holiday season.
I hope you feel inspired to take a minute to pause and appreciate the things you are thankful for.
1. Good Health
Before the pandemic, I suffered from colds several times throughout the year, on top of a very unpleasant bout of the flu every January. So when unsettling reports of COVID-19 appeared in early 2020, I was genuinely concerned.
Funnily enough, in the year of the most contagious virus to ever hit the planet, I have had only one mild cold. This happened in July the day immediately following a fun trip to Oaxaca, Mexico. A real bummer, right? Luckily my immune system fought it off, and I was feeling better in a little over 7 days.
I’m glad that I have become more intentional about keeping my body healthy. Some changes I’ve made include eliminating meat, dairy, wheat, and corn from my diet in addition to consuming more vitamins and natural herbs.
Besides the occasional lapse here and there, I’ve largely stuck to my new eating habits. Essential oils have also become my go-to remedy for any ailment requiring over-the-counter meds. Tea tree, lavender, rosemary, and oregano essential oils are currently sitting on my bathroom counter. I’m not advocating this to anyone; it’s just what works for me.
All in all, I’m doubly grateful to have enjoyed good health this year.
2. Close Friendships
Making friends has always come easy for me, and over the years, I have gained thousands of acquaintances from all over the world.
Yet, when I think about the ones who are truly closest to me, I can count them on one hand. I’ve known some for over 10 years, others I’ve just met this past year.
One common trait I truly appreciate about my closest friends is that it’s so easy to be with them. When we spend time together, we are present and genuinely happy to see each other. No one is checking their social media profiles or scrolling through text messages looking for something better to do.
Moreover, we don’t have to live near one another or see each other often to maintain our strong bonds. The minute I hear their voice on the phone or see their name pop up in my text message feed, our connection is instantly re-established. It’s that simple!
That is why I feel blessed and beyond grateful for close friendships, the ability to create them and the wisdom to maintain them.
3. Loving Family
I haven’t always had the closest relationship with my family. When I was 15 years old, I left my home in New Jersey to live with my dad in California. While this turned out to be the Best Decision Ever, it wasn’t always easy on my family back in NJ.
As a result, we grew apart as it became harder to navigate through space and time. As I have grown older and wiser, I’ve set about repairing those fractured relationships. That means checking up on people more often, connecting more during the year (not just during the holidays) and arranging visits whenever possible.
Gradually, we’ve all moved past painful things from the past and rekindled our relationships.
The irony is that the physical distance seems to have brought us closer together! Definitely not what I expected. Nevertheless, I’m grateful.
4. Experiences vs. Things
During the 25 years I lived in my Bay Area apartment, I accumulated a lot of material things. Coincidentally, I used the KonMari Method to help me release the material stuff I’d accumulated, but it still took a long time to clear out my apartment entirely. I gave away about 2000 books, all my furniture, kitchenware, and assorted knick-knacks.
So when I left the United States in 2017 to travel the world full time, I spent the next couple of years learning how to let go. For me, living a less materialistic lifestyle doesn’t mean becoming a monk and abstaining from all of life’s pleasures.
Instead, I only hold onto things that spark joy in my life, and increasingly, those are experiences rather than things.
I place more value on sharing a nice meal with friends and family over owning the latest designer bag or pair of shoes. It does help that I’m location independent.
I’ve met up with friends from all over the world in cities like Chiang Mai, Medellin, Cancun, and Lisbon. I recognize that it’s a gift to be able to do this.
5. Healthy Spiritual Practices
I debated whether to include this point, but I would be remiss if I didn’t share the newly-discovered ease with which I recognize my own divinity.
Most people would refer to this habit as a religion; however, I don’t practice anything closely resembling an organized, faith-based religion. Others might call it New Age, and perhaps it is. In any event, I’ve forged my own form of spirituality that works for me.
I know that I’m deeply connected to everybody and everything. I no longer kill insects, and I have infinite patience for people who do dumb things.
I definitely have more compassion for my fellow humans, plants and animals, and the planet because I feel a deep connection to them.
I remind myself that I am the maker of my destiny and that I have spiritual guides and helpers assisting me along the way. I also completely rid my body, mind and spirit of fear, as it no longer serves me. I know that my guides are actively protecting me.
I don’t do reckless things like walk across a busy highway, but I boldly make decisions knowing that success is my birthright.
I grew up not having a lot of money, and I constantly worried about lack. These days, I believe 100% in the concept of abundance for all.
Why worry about money when I know that any time I need it, it appears in my life in the form of a bill miraculously paid, a new set of clients, or an unexpected gift from a friend.
Every morning I light incense, remind myself of who I am and try daily to live up to my own high regard. This is my spiritual practice, and I’m proud to share it with the world.
6. New City, New Home
Before the pandemic started, I was a digital nomad, moving from one city or country to the next every few months. However, when countries started closing their borders, I thought it best to stay in one place for a while. I’m glad I did because many other travelers found themselves stranded in places all over the world.
I ended up in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. This quintessential beach town has a thriving expat community and an affordable cost of thriving. It is easy to live here, and I don’t find myself as stressed about everyday things as I was when I lived in the United States.
I’ve also found a way to give back to the local community by offering my business consulting services. Thus far, I’ve helped my gardener and barber expand their hobbies into a thriving business!
I’ve been fortunate to experience similar hospitality in different places across the world, namely, County Wexford in Ireland, Chiang Mai in Thailand, and Medellin in Colombia. None of this would have been possible had I not taken that first step years ago to forge a new life for myself.
7. Convenient & Affordable Delivery Services
In the United States, we’ve come to enjoy a wide variety of delivery services such as InstaCart, DoorDash and Fetch, to name a few. So when I had to practice social distancing in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, I was excited to learn that there are similar services here!
There’s UberEats, Rappi, and a couple of local delivery companies such as Playita Express and Playa Go. Not only is delivery significantly more affordable, but the on-demand delivery services are also dependable. I’ve come to rely on these services to order everything from weekly groceries to specialty items such as small pieces of furniture, framed art and, of course, food and purified water.
And then there are the personal services that I’ve come to depend on. Where would I be without my Jardina (plants), Cariña de Puro (fresh juices), Alicia (massages), Claudia (housekeeper), and Edgar (barber).
So I’m eternally grateful that I can maintain a healthy distance from others during this pandemic and still have all of my creature comforts at hand.
8. The Gift of Laughter
By the time I moved to LA for a 3-year work interlude in 2007, I had called San Francisco Bay Area home for several decades. Now, I was in a big city where I hardly knew anyone, but I was determined to make new friends.
That’s how I found myself attending a lot of new-age, self-help workshops as a way to meet the kind of people I wanted to hang out with. Let’s just say that that didn’t work out so well. But one really good thing did come out of it.
One of the workshops I attended was on laughter as therapy. It was held on a beach in Santa Monica and hosted by a guy who was a dead ringer for Santa Claus. I kid you not: shocking white hair and long beard, rosy cheeks, and a big belly. He was an absolute hoot!
His relatively simplistic philosophy was that laughter cures all ills. Feeling down? Watch a funny movie. Broke up with your partner? Go to a comedy club.
He took us through a series of exercises where we laughed using different parts of our bodies. Did you know you could laugh from your throat? From your chest? Even from your belly?
At the end of the class, I learned that laughing from my belly made me feel really good. And to this day, whenever I need a quick pick me up, I laugh.
Santa was right; laughter is the very best therapy! I am immensely grateful that I learned to appreciate the power of laughter much more.
9. Having a U.S. Passport
While I might not be the greatest fan of the workaholic culture in the United States, I can’t deny that being a US citizen comes with some great perks. One of them is having a passport which allows me to travel to more than 180 destinations for short-term trips without having to get (and pay for) a visa.
In comparison, the US allows citizens with passports from only 36 countries to enter America without a visa. The privilege this affords cannot be overemphasized.
I have seen people from African countries get pulled out of the immigration line in the airport, and others have had their Visa requests repeatedly rejected because they hail from India or Colombia. That’s why I constantly remind myself of this great privilege I enjoy.
As long as I pay taxes, I can remain outside of the United States indefinitely, knowing that getting back into the country is easily within my reach using my US passport. This freedom to travel is a huge asset in my life, especially now as I plan to spend most of 2022 traveling across Europe.
10. The Ability to Travel
Travel will always be one of the things I’m most grateful for. It has been the catalyst for many big changes in my life. Quarantining in my apartment for months on end has been especially tough for me. I love being out there in the world, appreciating all that this vast world has to offer.
Now that I can finally travel again, I’m over the moon! I’m incredibly grateful for my location-independent lifestyle and luxury travel agency. Just a few years ago, I was stuck in a stressful, emotionally draining corporate job.
Now I get to help people from solo travelers looking to visit their next faraway and exotic destinations to multigenerational families planning their next group vacation.
This business affords me the time, funds and freedom to live my best life doing what I love the most — traveling the world and helping all my wonderful clients embark on their next unique custom-crafted once-in-a-lifetime trip. I can never take this for granted.
I am looking forward to a great holiday season and an even better 2022. I hope the same for you!