It's Thanksgiving week here in the States.

Which means many of you are either traveling, hosting, or mentally preparing for family dynamics that range from beautiful to... complicated.

Let’s take a different twist today…

Here’s a practice I've been working with for the past three weeks. One that's changed how I see this entire year.

Everything contains its opposite.

Every peak, a valley.
Every ending, a beginning.
Every loss, a gain waiting to be seen.

And I realized: most gratitude practices only tell half the story.

We list the good things.

We thank God for the blessings.
We post about what we're grateful for.

But we rarely acknowledge the whole truth of what this year has given us.

The things I'm most grateful for also cost me something.
The things I resisted most taught me what I needed to learn.
The losses cleared space for what matters now.

And sometimes, the "blessings" I chased carried hidden burdens I didn't see coming.

Try This With Me

Think about your year through the different areas of your life: your work, relationships, health, growth, contribution, rest.

Pick one thing you initially judged as "bad" or painful.

What good came from it?

Pick one thing you celebrated as "good" or successful.

What shadow side did it carry?

Not to diminish either experience.

But to see the completeness of both.

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I'm grateful for every person who reads these words each Wednesday.

For those who take time to respond, to share, to let me into your journey.
For those who've embraced choice and are actively growing.
For everyone who invests in me with their Time, Energy, Attention, and Money.
For my family: Arlene, Bethany, and Anna, who love me even when I'm still figuring things out.
For my friends and especially my business partner Brandon, who sees me and challenges me.

And I'm grateful for the hard things too.

The coaching clients who didn't hire me taught me about timing and fit.

The "successful" year that also brought exhaustion taught me about sustainable rhythm.

The losses that hurt like hell also cracked me open to love deeper.

If you want to share your gratitudes (the messy, complete, both/and kind), hit reply.

I'd be honored to read them.

Until next week,

-Coach Reg

P.S. If you're spending this week with family you don't always see eye-to-eye with, remember: the Law of Polarity applies here too. The person who frustrates you most might also be the one who needs your presence most. And that tension? It's often two truths trying to coexist in the same room.

SPARK Insights™

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