Gratitude as Resistance: Choosing Joy in a Demanding World
November always brings us back to gratitude. Yes, I love a list of blessings — and I hold them close. But gratitude is deeper than words on a page. It isn’t just a warm feeling; it can be a radical act. In a world that constantly demands more of us — and in a season that feels uncertain for so many — gratitude pushes back. It stands up, it challenges, it humbles.
Gratitude reminds us: you are already enough. You are already held. You are surrounded by gifts, by love, by belonging. Even in times of struggle, grief, or when life just doesn’t feel like it, gratitude whispers, you’re not alone.
Gratitude is resistance against the narrative of hustle and scarcity — the voice that says prove yourself, keep striving, you’ll never have enough. Gratitude slows us down. It re-centers us. It says: you have breath, you have love, you have what you need for today. Spiritually, that’s all we’re asked to hold — just today.
I’ll be honest: I complain sometimes. And then I catch myself and remember how much I have to be thankful for. Whether this month naturally puts you in that mood or not, take a moment. Pause. Notice what you can be grateful for and embrace it. Slow down enough to touch, feel, smell, hear, and see the small miracles all around you. If you can do that, you’re already winning.
And let me be clear: practicing gratitude doesn’t mean ignoring pain or pretending everything is okay. Gratitude means holding both truth and tenderness. It’s saying, yes, life is heavy — and still, I can name the light that finds me.
Here are some reflections for this season:
Where can I slow down long enough to notice small joys?
How does gratitude shift the way I show up for myself, my family, my community?
What would it look like to use gratitude as a daily pause — a practice of resistance and renewal?
Gratitude is not passive. It’s powerful. It’s one of the simplest, most transformative practices we have. This November, may your gratitude be both an anchor and an act of courage.
Peace, love, and light to you and yours.
