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Welcome to my personal space, where I write through change, learning, and healing in real time. Written by a 45-year-old mother of three, learning AI, online systems, and how to stay sane and healthy, one honest step at a time.
Thanksgiving Reflections of a Grateful Mom
December 1, 2025
My Journey to $100k
Where I live in Southeast Asia, we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving.
It’s not part of our cultural calendar, and there’s no holiday surrounding it. But I’ve always loved the meaning behind it: pausing to reflect, choosing gratitude intentionally, and looking back at the year that has just happened.
Maybe it’s because I’ve spent the past year rebuilding my life, my business, and my confidence from the ground up. Maybe it’s because I finally understand what it means to be grateful in the middle of uncertainty, not after the success comes. And maybe that’s why these thanksgiving reflections of a grateful mom feel so meaningful to write this year.
I’ve been thinking a lot about where I am right now. A mother of three in three different stages of life. A woman starting again financially. Someone learning new skills, building new income streams, and trying to create a future that feels both stable and full of possibility.
And today, I want to write down the things I’m thankful for, not because everything is perfect, but because gratitude is the only thing that has kept me moving.
2025 started with such high hopes. I dreamed of earning $100K. I imagined momentum, progress, and finally breaking into the world of digital business with confidence.
And today, I end the year with zero sales. But surprisingly, my heart is not discouraged.
In fact, I feel… full of gratitude. More than I expected.
Thankful for a Year That Didn’t Go to Plan
This year didn’t unfold the way I pictured it. But maybe that was the point. Sometimes life doesn’t give us results first. It gives us lessons.
I faced challenges I didn’t expect financially, emotionally, and mentally. There were moments I felt behind, lost, or overwhelmed. There were days everything looked messy and uncertain.
And yet, these exact difficulties shaped me. They pushed me to look at myself honestly. They forced me to slow down and strengthen my foundation instead of rushing ahead.
If the year had been easy, I don’t think I would be this prepared for what comes next. So I’m thankful for the plans that fell apart because they guided me to the paths I actually needed.
Thankful for the Skills I Never Thought I’d Learn
If someone told me one year ago that I would:
- Learn AI tools
- Build funnels
- Understand ads
- Manage multiple platforms
- Write blogs
- Create content
- Set up domains, DNS, emails, automations
- Start a multi-brand digital business
…I would have laughed.
But today, I can say I’ve touched every one of these skills imperfectly, but honestly.
I tried so many tools. I broke things and fixed them. I learned through trial, error, and persistence.
And even without sales yet, I have knowledge I didn’t even know existed before.
This is why I’m thankful. Because one day, these skills will pay off in ways I can’t fully see yet.
Thankful for the People Who Make This Possible
My children, each in different seasons of life, teach me something new every day.
My husband, who has seen all my breakdowns, still believes in every new idea I come up with.
My helper, who keeps my daily world running so I can carve out time to learn and build this business.
And my VA, who is no longer just a VA. Part therapist. Part cheerleader. Part accountability partner. Now a precious friend.
And honestly, I’m thankful for AI tools like ChatGPT, communities of creators, and the entire online world that gives mothers like me a second chance.
We don’t have to start perfect. We just have to start.
Thankful for the Quiet Strength This Year Built in Me
There is a different kind of strength that comes from a year like this. A strength that grows quietly beneath the surface. The kind of strength that says: “I didn’t get the results I hoped for, but I will keep going anyway.”
Not everyone understands what it feels like to build something from scratch while raising children and learning an entirely new industry. I’ve had to cut back, adjust, humble myself financially. After years of comfortable spending, this setback was necessary. And painful. But needed.
But I’m still here. Not giving up. Not stopping. Because without this year pushing me, I don’t think I would have discovered my resilience.
The part of me that says: “Start again. And again. Even when you’re scared.” This reset made me braver. Sharper. More intentional.
This year taught me patience. It taught me to believe in possibilities even when I can’t see proof yet. The hardships didn’t break me. They’re building me.
Thankful for Gratitude Itself
Strangely, the biggest blessing this year gave me is gratitude.
Not gratitude tied to a big win. Not gratitude tied to sales. Not gratitude tied to milestones. Just quiet, steady gratitude for the life I have.
Gratitude that I can still pay my bills. Gratitude for my health. Gratitude for my home filled with the laughter of my children. Gratitude for food on the table. Gratitude for stability, no matter how small.
I’m thankful for:
- the difficulties that sharpened me
- the small wins no one sees
- the late nights learning
- the courage to start again in midlife
- the faith that kept me moving
This kind of gratitude is soft… but strong.
A Thanksgiving for the In-Between
I’m ending this year without the results I wanted, but with the growth I needed. And I’m grateful for that. Deeply grateful.
I’m grateful for the version of me that kept going when everything felt too heavy. I’m grateful for the resilience I didn’t know I had. I’m grateful for the dreams I’m still brave enough to chase.
If you’re in your own “in-between,” here’s what I learned:
You don’t need success first to feel thankful. You can start again anytime. And again. And again. You can be grateful for becoming the kind of person who will eventually create the success you’re praying for.
This is my Thanksgiving. From Southeast Asia. From uncertainty. From hope. From the middle of the journey. And from a heart that is truly grateful.
Happy Thanksgiving from me,
Elle xoxoxo
FAQ – Thanksgiving Reflections of a Grateful Mom
1. Why am I celebrating Thanksgiving if I live in Southeast Asia?
I don’t celebrate it traditionally, but I embrace the meaning behind it, reflection, gratitude, growth.
2. How do I stay grateful without business results?
By focusing on personal growth, resilience, and new skills that will support my future success.
3. What did I learn this year while building an online business?
AI tools, funnels, ads, content creation, automations, systems—skills I never imagined learning.
4. How do I stay motivated as a mother building a business?
By remembering my “why,” honoring small progress, leaning on support, and starting again anytime.
5. What is “the in-between”?
It’s the season where growth is happening quietly behind the scenes, long before results appear.
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