Gratitude. Giving thanks. These thoughts come to mind in November. As I wrote in the article “Giving Thanks,” I remember hearing someone say we should celebrate love every day, not just once a year on Valentine’s Day. I feel the same way about gratitude.

Darren Hardy, the publisher of Success magazine, tells a story in his latest book The Compound Effect. One Thanksgiving, he decided to keep a journal for a year and present it to his wife the following Thanksgiving. Every day, he jotted something down about his wife that he appreciated. At first it was little things, for example, he liked her hairstyle. But as the year went on, his observations became deeper and more significant. For example, he appreciated the way she mothered their children.

He presented her with this precious diary at their next Thanksgiving. Can you imagine how she felt?

Hardy writes that he fell more in love with his wife as the year went on. Of course! What you pay attention to expands, because of the Law of Attraction. So give thanks to the people who enrich your life. And every day, notice the things, big and small, which bring you joy. Then watch your life overflow with blessings.

Shining a Light on Seasonal Affective Disorder

Our daylight hours in the Northern Hemisphere were already waning, and now we’ve just turned back the clocks. This transition is difficult for many of you, I know. Being without light is difficult for me, too. Light is, after all, a nutrient.

I think we forget that most of the people on Earth lived without electricity as little as 125 years ago. For millennia, we honored the natural rest and restore cycle built into the year. It was once the norm to rise with the sun and sleep when it was dark. This meant sleeping more in the winter. Even the earth rested—very little grows in winter, although the trees send nourishment to the roots, so the cycle can begin again in spring.

We all need to “go into darkness” at times to rejuvenate and to take stock of our lives. This is particularly true after we’ve created something significant in the outer world. I experienced this after the launch of each of my books—and did my best to honor it.

You can fight this rhythm, but it may fight back!

If you are one of millions who experience seasonal affective disorder (SAD), don’t let anyone tell you it’s all in your head. It’s not. It is, however, a nudge from Mother Nature that something in your life isn’t quite right. I’ve often said that SAD is to the annual calendar what PMS is to the monthly cycle. Like PMS, if your symptoms are severe it can mean that you aren’t honoring the needs of your body or spirit.

There are real physiological changes, which take place when the days grow shorter. The sleepiness that you feel has to do with your body’s production of melatonin. Light—for some, even the nightlight in the bathroom—can cause your body to stop producing melatonin. Of course the opposite is true. The more melatonin, the sleepier you will feel. Give in! Get an extra hour of sleep when you can.

You are also exposed to less sunlight and, therefore, less vitamin D. Numerous studies show that your risk for the winter blues increase if your vitamin D levels are sub-optimal. This is true of the aches and pains, which seem to come on in the cold.

Click here to continue reading and to learn one simple tip for keeping the winter blues away.