It’s fall – the season for crunchy leaves, coats, leggings and pumpkin spice lattes. This season really warms my heart. It is my favorite season hands down. Its fun to see the pumpkin patches full of orange, plump fruit on the side of the road and oooh and awww over babies draped in head-to-toe fleece sitting plop in the middle of a sea of burnt orange pumpkins. Like seriously cute!

Fall envelopes me with cute ideas – I scour Pinterest for fluffy outfits and craft projects. This season fills me with a fervent passion to conquer. However, I tend to forget that fall is also a season of thankfulness. After all, after Halloween comes Thanksgiving. Turkey dinners simply should not be a standalone meaning for that precious holiday.

I practiced an exercise this week. Think of the things that make you angry and frustrated sometimes – and flip those trials into something you are grateful for. I know, it was a hard task; but, I did think of a few things that I wanted to share.

My commute into work. Driving in my car and sitting in a gridlock of traffic bothers me. I hate to admit it; but many times – it just makes me blood boil. People in fast, pricey cars cut you off in the merge lane (I speak from experience) and then people who are texting or talking on their phone can take forever to realize that a lane is moving. Yet, in this midst of this chore – I am thankful for my drive in. I get to pass the Pentagon, Washington Monument and U.S. Capitol every single day. What a joy! There are many people who never get to experience this marble, monumental grandeur every single morning. So I thank God for that experience and my eyes that can see such wonder.

Walking my dog. I live in an apartment – so, literally every single time my dog has to go potty, I have to take him on an elevator and outside into the little doggie park. This can be a pain especially when it’s like 20 degrees outside and snowing or when I am just flat out tired from work and want to plop down on the couch. But, I thank God for my legs that are able to walk outside – for the ability of mobility and the beautiful feeling of the crisp, clean air I get to breathe. The pumping life that I breathe in and out of my life house!

Convoluted city living. Living in the city can be rough, we discussed traffic in a point above – but the living quarters are pretty tight too. Parking spaces are rare and – everything just takes much, much longer to complete. Maneuvering around DC can be pretty bleak. However, I am so thankful to everything that is proximity to me. One weekend, I can experience Gettysburg and the next, I can walk on the Fisherman’s Wharf and enjoy some fresh fish – prepared right in front of me. I can tour Mount Vernon or even walk on the West Lawn of the White House and experience a garden tour.

I encourage you to practice gratefulness this week. Think of three things that are the bane of your existence and flip them around to find something wonderful in that chore. Remember that a smile is a frown turned upside down.