Every season at This Life is Good, we choose a theme—a rhythm to guide our collective focus and reflection. This autumn season, as the leaves change and the pace of life begins to shift, our theme is Goodness & Gratitude.
The Pace of Life
Most of us live life in fast-forward—rushing from one thing to the next, telling ourselves we’ll rest, breathe, or feel good “when things calm down.”
But thriving isn’t something we need to chase; it’s something that finds us when we slow down enough to notice what’s already good.
Goodness is about living in alignment with what matters.
It’s the daily choice to return to what’s true for you—to your values, your joy, your energy, your meaning.
And Gratitude is what keeps us rooted in that goodness.
It’s the practice of noticing what’s already good so that life’s fullness becomes visible again.
Together, goodness and gratitude invite us to soften—to pause, to breathe, to appreciate how much we already have and how much possibility still lies ahead.
Goodness and Gratitude in practice
To start putting goodness and gratitude into practice today, try one or all of these suggestions:
- Start by diving into what thriving really means, the cost of “just getting by,” and what thriving from the inside out looks like.
- Next, take a moment to pause—to take a breath, create a moment of stillness, and remember that a good life begins in the space between all the doing.
- Then, try this simple yet powerful practice—Three Good Things—to help you step out of autopilot and into awareness and intention.
- Listen to this insightful Science of Happiness podcast episode where one woman shares her experience of incorporating the practice—of noticing the good things—into her life.
A Taste of the Season
Where I grew up, there’s really no such thing as an autumn season—there’s only a dry season and a wet season. So when I think of this time of year, I conjure up images of a bountiful harvest and the fruits and vegetables from backyard gardens that people in my hometown delighted in showing off and sharing.
That’s why—as the clocks change and daylight saving time begins—I’m sharing with you a recipe collection featuring warming dishes made with squash, apples, root vegetables, and hearty greens that make the most of the fall season and help nourish our bodies and minds in preparation for the colder, darker months ahead.
Your Invitation
As you go through the week, I hope you make time to slow down and take stock of what’s already here—to notice what’s working, what’s nourishing, and what’s quietly sustaining you beneath the surface.
