Guided Thanksgiving Meditation: Embracing Gratitude and New Beginnings

In my recent episode of The Blogger Genius Podcast, I recorded my newest Thanksgiving guided meditation reflecting on our past year, expressing gratitude, and setting our intentions for the year ahead.

Here's the transcript of the meditation to read and enjoy. Happy Thanksgiving!

Transcript of my 2024 Thanksgiving Meditation: Embracing Gratitude and New Beginnings

Jillian Leslie 00:00:04 Hello and welcome back to The Blogger Genius Podcast. I am Jillian Leslie, your host. If you've been listening to my podcast for a while, you know, at Thanksgiving I like to record a short guided meditation. So today I'm calling this meditation "Gratitude and New Beginnings" because these are two concepts I hope to focus on in my own life in the coming year. And I thought you might like to also. So together right now, let's put our busyness aside for these ten minutes and focus on the abundance in our lives and the bright possibilities of the year ahead. So let this be a space for clarity, curiosity, and optimism as we set the stage for new beginnings. So let's take a deep breath. In and out. And again, in and out. And let's settle into the present moment. Allow your body to relax. Your shoulders to soften your mind to quiet and your heart to open. And let's start with gratitude. So right now think about the people experiences and lessons that have shaped you this year.

Jillian Leslie 00:01:50 So just take a moment and think about what it is that you're grateful for. Now I'm going to pepper this meditation with just a few of my favorite Mark Twain quotes, because I have been seeing them pop up in things I've been reading, and I've been thinking, Mark Twain just has a way of saying things that penetrate. So let's start with this first quote. The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else. Have powerful, right? So take a moment to reflect on how those small acts of kindness, both given and received, have brightened your life. Is there someone you've said something nice to you and you've watched them smile, and then you smile in response? Or has someone said something nice to you recently and it's touched you, and you know that it's touched them right back. So feel the warmth of those moments and allow yourself to savor them. We all Impact each other. And now consider how gratitude connects us to something larger than ourselves. So let's meditate on the idea that kindness and gratitude transcend all barriers.

Jillian Leslie 00:03:28 Picture yourself surrounded by this light of kindness, radiating outward to touch everyone you meet. And as you do. Take a deep breath. In and out. In and out. As we reflect on the year that's passed, it's easy to hold on to worries and regrets. Now, this quote I looked up recently because if there is one that could sum up my life, it would be this quote. I've had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened. So yes, I am a worrier. I'm a planner. I'm always looking for the other shoe to drop. I'm looking for where danger is lurking. And I ask you, does this sound familiar? Because I never go back and say to myself, That turned out okay because I've moved on to the next worry. So reminding myself that sometimes I can spend a lot of my effort consumed, consumed with fear about things that never come to pass. And if I could even take one tenth of that energy and put it toward faith, my overall time on this planet might be a lot lighter.

Jillian Leslie 00:05:02 And if only I could channel that energy into more positive uses. So this is the intention I'm setting for myself in the new year. It's trusting in myself, trusting in my friends and family, and knowing that if something does not work out, I have the inner strength to deal with it and move forward. I do believe it's better to live in a world of faith than fear, and I will be working on that. And if you're a worrier too, I challenge you to do the same. Even if it's just in little ways. So please join me. And I'm also going to ask myself, what worries am I holding on to that no longer serve me? Can I say goodbye to them? Can I see them for what they really are? Things that keep me stuck and paralyzed. So together, let's call up a worry. So think of a worry and visualize it in your hands and place it in a box in front of you. And now conjure up another worry. Hold it in your hands.

Jillian Leslie 00:06:33 And place it in the box. And finally, a third worry. Hold it and then place it in the box. Now in your mind. Shut the box and push it away from you. So it's no longer near you. So it's completely out of sight. Our fears don't have to define us. And now feel the space we've just created within ourselves a space of peace and openness and readiness for what's to come. And with that, let's take a deep breath. In and out and in and out. Now let's turn our focus toward the future. Imagine what 2025 could hold for you and your business and your family and your dreams. So Mark Twain said, the secret of getting ahead is getting started. I use this exact quote in a bunch of my presentations just to get people to take that first step. So think about what new beginnings you want to embrace in the year ahead. Where can you take that small step forward even today? Please let go of perfection. Embrace, be minus work and lean into progress.

Jillian Leslie 00:08:30 So as we picture ourselves moving forward, let's take a deep breath. In and out and in and out. As we envision 2025. Let's approach it with curiosity. Here's another Mark Twain quote I really like. The two most important days in your life are the day you were born and the day you find out why. Let's start that again. As we envisioned 2025, Let's approach it with curiosity. And here's another Mark Twain quote I really like. The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why. Ask yourself, what's my deeper? Why? What fuels me? What lights me up? So let's take a moment to ask yourself that. And now make a note of the first thought that popped into your mind. And make a note of the feeling that idea brought up. Did it light you up? Get you a little excited? So let that purpose guide your vision for the new year. Put on the hat of the helper. Who can you impact? Whose life can you change? This is where you want to go deeper in both your business and your personal life.

Jillian Leslie 00:10:26 And I call this having real impact. In fact, picture picture yourself waking up each morning in 2025 with a feeling of hope, creativity and excitement for what lies ahead. So with that vision, take a deep breath. In and out and in and out. Building something new isn't always easy, but it's always worth it when it's aligned with your purpose. 2025 is a year to celebrate your wins, big and small, and let them leave marks of pride and happiness on your heart. You are stronger than you think. With courage, curiosity and resilience, you can create something extraordinary. Take a deep breath in. And out and in and out. One more intention for the year ahead. Think about traveling outside of your comfort zone. Try new things. Meet new people. Take risks. Because this is where the growth happens. What new connections, ideas or opportunities can you open yourself to in 2025? How can you expand your perspective to embrace growth and innovation? Let go of what's not working and instead get curious about what could work.

Jillian Leslie 00:12:20 The future is bright. It's full of possibility, and it is waiting for you. So as I close, take one more deep breath. In and out and in and out. Carry with you the gratitude of this moment and the optimism of new beginnings. Remember, 2025 is yours to create one courageous step at a time. Thank you for joining me in this meditation of gratitude and new beginnings. I am so grateful for you, for your vision and your journey. Happy Thanksgiving!

I want to hear from you!

Now I'd love to hear from you. What are you hoping to create or achieve in 2025 for your business and life? What small, courageous steps are you ready to take? Share your thoughts with me—whether it’s an idea for growth, a goal you're setting, or a worry you're ready to let go of.

Let’s make 2025 the year we embrace curiosity, gratitude, and bold action. I’m here cheering you on every step of the way! Email me at jillian@milotree.com or DM me on Instagram—I can’t wait to hear your vision for the future.