What Are You Thankful For?

Everyone’s been through a hell of a year so far, and I’m choosing to spend this week focusing on gratitude and thankfulness.

This is one of my favorite times of the year, not only because of the leaves changing and the weather starting to cool down, which I’m a big fan of, but also because it feels like life starts to slow down a little bit. It gives us a chance to reflect a little bit more, especially during the holiday season.

Regardless of being able to hit those goals you’re focused on for work, now is a great time to reestablish what’s important and be thankful for the most simplistic of things.

At certain times of my speedskating career, I really just took things for granted. It’s a mistake I still think about, even being 10 years removed from the sport.

I traveled the world since I was 14 years old to these incredible countries. I was so obsessed with trying to perform my best that I didn’t stop and look around. I spent several days – or longer – in amazing places like Sofia, Bulgaria; St. Petersburg, Russia; Nobeyama, Japan; Chamonix, France; Courmayeur, Italy; Bormio, Italy; the Netherlands; Gangwon Province in South Korea; Harbin, China. If only I had really slowed down and taken a few more minutes to take in their beauty and their cultures.

I think it’s one of those things where I look back and think, man, I wish I would’ve done that, but then I think, well maybe I would not have skated as well. Everything happens for its reason and its purpose, even if it’s unexplainable.

Life is really short and the onus is on us to be able to take a break. Take a second to just realize that these things are fleeting at times. The more that we can be calm, be present and relax, the more we have a chance to freeze time in those moments.

I urge everyone during the holiday season – regardless of what you have or do not have, regardless of what you have or do not have access to, whether you are with your parents or whether you decide to not see them just to be safe with coronavirus – to create a semblance of something that will make you remember this year, always. It’s important.

The way our human brain and memory works is that in order for something to be memorable, it typically has to be shocking, so extraordinarily breathtaking or have a deep sense of sad or trauma associated. That’s how we usually remember things, because then we can’t ever forget them.

Hopefully you have the ability to be thankful without having had to suffer loss this year. Even if there is loss, at least in this moment of time, how do we wrap our heads around just that one thing that we’re thankful for? Do something to honor what you’re thankful for so that the day does stand out.

I take every day this week to try to be as present as possible, and to be as calm and collected as possible, and to enjoy the simple things – sunshine, cool air, going for a walk, being outside for a second in its simplicity. This is a really great week to take the 5 or 10 minutes and just close your eyes or just sit there and be calm and enjoy.