I believe that mindfulness and gratitude are two sides of the same coin. when you’re mindful, you slow down the racing thoughts, take a deep breath, and pay rapt attention to this particular moment. You accentuate your senses, smell the autumn air, taste the wood smoke, feel the breeze against your skin.

It’s just a tiny step from there to gratitude. At being alive to understand and embrace these moments, at having the presence to stop and just be, at the understanding you’ve stopped time for a fleeting moment.

At the same time, when we feel gratitude rise, it’s just a small shift in perspective to sink into that gentle emotion. We can let it wash over us, caught up as a conduit for contentment.

Every moment is worth it.