🍂 Anika's Monthly Mindful Newsletter
October: Harvesting Gratitude
Noticing what is already here
From Anika's Heart
Next to Spring, Fall is my favorite season and has always felt like an invitation to notice.
The trees are changing. Gardens are winding down. The days are growing shorter. Nature seems to be reminding us that there is a time for growing and a time for gathering in what has already grown.
It makes me think about how often we move from one thing to the next without stopping to recognize what we've experienced along the way.
We accomplish something and immediately focus on the next goal. We navigate something difficult and barely acknowledge the strength it took to get through it. We become so accustomed to the people, places, and small comforts in our lives that we sometimes stop noticing how meaningful they are.
Practicing gratitude is a chance to pause. Not to pretend everything is wonderful or ignore what is difficult, but to widen our attention enough to notice what is good alongside everything else.
So this October, rather than asking, What do I need to accomplish next? perhaps we can ask:
What is already here that deserves to be noticed?
Â
Mindfully yours,
Anika
Monthly Mindful Practice
The Three Good Things Practice
At the end of each day, pause and identify three things that were good about your day. They don't have to be extraordinary. Maybe someone made you laugh. You noticed the changing leaves. Your first sip of coffee was especially good. Maybe you finished something you'd been putting off. Or, you simply made it through a difficult day. For each one, take a moment to really remember the experience. What happened? How did it feel? What made this moment meaningful?
Instead of simply making a gratitude list, allow yourself to experience the gratitude again.
Reflective Soul Food
Taking Stock of Your Own Harvest
When we think about a harvest, we often think about what has been produced, but not every harvest is something we can see. Sometimes the harvest is wisdom. Sometimes it's courage. Sometimes it's learning to say no. It could also be a relationship we've nurtured, a habit we've changed, a boundary we've created, or simply the realization that we're not the same person we were a year ago. Take a few moments to reflect:
What have I cultivated in my life this year that I don't want to overlook?
A G.E.N.T.L.E. Reflection
Grounding What in my life helps me feel rooted and supported?
Ease Where can I allow what I already have to be enough?
Notice What goodness have I become so accustomed to that I sometimes forget to appreciate it?
Tend What do I want to continue nurturing?
Let Go What expectation keeps me focused on what is missing instead of what is here?
Embody How can I express gratitude through the way I live, not just through the words I say?
Wellness Wisdom
Savor the Good
Gratitude isn't only something we think. We can practice experiencing it. The next time something pleasant happens, resist the urge to immediately move on. Stay with it for a few extra seconds. Notice the warmth of the sun. Really taste your favorite food. Receive a compliment instead of brushing it aside. Listen to someone's laughter. Notice how your body feels when you are comfortable and safe. These moments may seem small, but they are part of your life too.
What we pause to notice becomes part of what we remember.
Healthy Recipe
Warm Cinnamon Pear & Walnut Oatmeal
A cozy breakfast for cool October mornings.
Ingredients
• cup rolled oats • 1 cup unsweetened almond or oat milk • 1 ripe pear, diced • teaspoon cinnamon • Pinch of nutmeg • 1 tablespoon chia or ground flaxseed • 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts • Optional drizzle of maple syrup
Directions
Combine the oats, milk, half of the pear, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a small saucepan.
Cook according to the oat package directions until creamy.
Stir in the chia or flaxseed and top with the remaining pear, walnuts, and a small drizzle of maple syrup if desired.
Mindful Moment
Before taking your first bite, pause.
Notice the warmth of the bowl in your hands.
Breathe in the cinnamon and pear.
Then consider:
Who or what helped make this simple meal possible?
Gratitude can begin with something as ordinary as breakfast.
This Month's Book
Gratitude by Oliver Sacks
Near the end of his life, neurologist and writer Oliver Sacks wrote a series of deeply personal reflections about aging, mortality, and what it means to have lived.
Collected in Gratitude, these short essays offer a beautiful reminder that gratitude doesn't require a perfect life. It can coexist with uncertainty, loss, change, and endings.
This is a small book, but one worth reading slowly.
What Are You Ready to Nurture Next?
Taking stock of what we've already cultivated can also help us notice what we'd like to grow next. Maybe there's something you've been thinking about changing. You want to feel healthier, but haven't found a routine that feels sustainable. You want more space for yourself, but everything else always seems to come first. You know what you should be doing, but knowing and doing aren't always the same thing. Or perhaps you're simply asking yourself: What's next for me?
Â
These are exactly the kinds of questions we can explore through coaching. Coaching isn't about someone giving you the answers. It's a space to slow down, listen to yourself, clarify what matters, and turn your intentions into small, realistic actions that fit your actual life. You don't need to arrive with a goal perfectly figured out. Sometimes figuring out what you want is where we begin.
Â
If you're curious about coaching, I invite you to schedule a complimentary Strategy Session. We can talk about what's happening in your life, what you'd like to change, and whether coaching feels like the right support for you. No pressure. Just a conversation.
A Gentle Invitation
As October unfolds, I hope you'll give yourself permission to notice your own harvest.
Not only what you've accomplished, but who you've become.
The things you've learned.
The ways you've grown.
The people who have walked beside you.
And the ordinary moments that make a life a life.
This Month's Question
What is already present in my life that I don't want to take for granted?
Comments