Brittany Siierra: THANKFUL

With Thanksgiving less than a day away, it probably seems cliché to talk about being thankful and I totally get it. BUT, after the past few years that I’ve had, it wouldn’t be right if I didn’t take the time to acknowledge my blessings both big and small.

If you follow me on Snapchat, you may have heard me mention the, “years from hell.” Guys, when I tell you everything went wrong, EVERYTHING went wrong. It’s funny. When you follow someone on Instagram, or any social media platform, you only see the good. You only see what they want you to see. But pretty pictures and selfies are not always the extent of what’s going on in their lives personally.

I sometimes have to laugh at the assumptions people have made about me based on a selfie. Truthfully, I’m a little jealous of the grand life people assume I’m living-ha! Well, if we’re being completely honest with each other, 2014 and the beginning of 2015 was tough. Between my Dad passing away, financial woes and other life happenings it was definitely a trying time.

Even though things aren’t perfect, I am in a much better place today. MUCH better! It’s really easy to get caught up in what we don’t have and what’s not going according to plan but, it’s so essential that we recognize all the many blessings that we do have and be grateful.

FAMILY. I’m thankful for my family. Though we have our issues, I’m thankful that we are always there for each other and holidays together are always super fun.

FRIENDS. The older I get, the smaller my circle of friends has become. However, I’m so very grateful that I’ve been blessed with friends that genuinely care about me and are super supportive.

TALKS WITH DAD. Although his death was sudden, and certainly unexpected I’m thankful that my Dad and I talked literally right before he passed away. We didn’t have the closest relationship but I’m glad I got to tell him that I loved him one more time before he died.

STEP DAD. I’m thankful for my Step Dad who has been in my life since middle school (even though I did NOT want him there- lol). I’m thankful that he has treated me like his own, is always there for me and is always down to give me a fatherly talk…even when I don’t want it.

MY APARTMENT. LAWD, I’m thankful for my apartment! After living with roommate(s) for a year, I’m thankful to have my own place.

CAR. I’m so ready to trade in my car and upgrade to something different but, I’m thankful for my car nonetheless because she gets me where I need to go.

MY MENTORS. I’m thankful for my mentors. I’ve been blessed to have many people in my life who have taken me under their wing and are mentoring me in business and in life. I’m thankful for their wisdom and their patience. I know I can be a difficult student at times. Ha!

JOB. With so many people looking for a work and getting laid off, I’m thankful for my job! I’ve been blessed with a job that offers a good salary. BLESSING!

THE ABLITY TO DO WHAT I LOVE. I’m thankful for the ability and the opportunity to do what I love. I'm thankful that I have people rooting for me and that I have the courage to take on the journey of entrepreneurship. It's not always easy.

PEACE. There are some many terrible things happening around the world and even right here in the United States. I’m grateful for peace. That is truly a blessing.

MY PHONE. I’m thankful that I have my PHONE BACK! If you follow me on Instagram you know that my phone was stolen/lost and I had to go without a phone for 2.5 weeks while the insurance was figured out. The WORST!

MISTAKES. I’m thankful for all the mistakes and bad decisions that I’ve made because they’ve lead me to this moment, right now.

SUNDAY NIGHTS. I’m thankful for Sunday nights watching the Walking Dead with my parents. This season is so gooooooooood!

CLOSE. Woop! I’m thankful that my parents live so close and I can visit often (mainly around dinner time).

SANCTUARY. That feeling when you get home after a long day...yeah, I'm thankful for that!

NETFLIX. I’m grateful for Netflix, yes Netflix. I’ve spent many hours snuggled up in bed drinking hot tea and watching a movie. Literally, the best.

SOCIAL MEDIA. Either you love it or you hate it but, I, am thankful for social media. Because of Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, etc, I’ve been exposed to so many new things. I’ve learned from others, socialized with others and have been inspired by others. I’ve used it to grow my business and my blog and I’m thankful.

MY BUSY ASS SCHEDULE. I read a quote recently that said, “I can’t cry about having a lot on my plate when my goal was to eat.” Bam! I’m thankful for my busy ass schedule because it means that A: people want to work with me and B: things are happening. I really can’t complain about that!

MY TEAM. I’m thankful for all the people who have played a part in making my business and my blog succeed. From the big things to the little things, I could NOT do it with out them! Cool tidbit, I’m actually gearing up to hire an assistant/ intern! I’m so excited to be expanding the team!

COCONUT OIL. I’m thankful for coconut oil. Since discovering that stuff my hair is so ridiculously healthy and my skin is amazing. I wrote a post about the benefits of coconut oil.

FRESH FLOWERS. I’m thankful for fresh flowers and how they make me feel even, when I buy them for myself. (Fellas, I need you to get it together-ha!)

WALKS DOWNTOWN. The Pearl District and downtown Portland are my favorite. I’ve spent many hours just roaming the streets and being a tourist in my own city. Hence, this post. Ha.

BREAKFAST ON THE WEEKEND. I only make breakfast on the weekend (because that’s the only time when I have time). I love, love, love making a big ole’ breakfast in my pajamas, cozying up on the couch to eat and watch Netflix and then falling back to sleep. Not healthy I know, but it’s awesome!

FRESH SHEETS. That feeling when you get into bed after freshly washing your sheets and taking a shower…heaven.

MY FAITH. Last but not least, where would I be without my faith in God? It’s sometimes hard to trust that the Lord is going to help me though my struggles even when I know he’s already done so much for me. It’s hard to trust that someone you can’t see and can’t physically talk to is going to answer your prayers. It’s hard, but I’ve seen God do so many things for me, I’ve seen him help me when no one else could. But even still, even after seeing him work wonders I still I have a bad habit of trying to fix the problem myself and then going to him after everything I tried failed. I’m thankful for my faith and that even though I don’t always trust him, I'm thankful that he always has my back.

I saw a quote yesterday that said, "blessed are they who see beautiful things in humble places where other people see nothing." There are so many reasons to be thankful. We are blessed in so many ways but often we over look them them. I mean, even having a laptop or a smart phone to read this post is a blessing (trust me, I went without a phone for 2.5 weeks. I KNOW! Ha!)

What are you thankful for?