“We’ve paid for our speeded-up lives with a loss in the quality of our time. Our chronic lack of time has robbed us of the ability to understand that the truth of living is found in the experience of being, and that life cannot be put on hold while we’re trying to produce more.”
– Alexandra Stoddard, Gracious Living in a New World
I launched The Inspired Room in 2007 to share my love of decorating and the home, but from the beginning what mattered most to me was the idea of living authentically. With Thanksgiving approaching in the U.S., it’s a season that naturally encourages us to slow down and count our blessings. Still, cultivating gratitude and genuine presence at home is something I aim to practice year-round.
There’s nothing wrong with enjoying a beautiful, clean, organized home. Decorating is both my passion and my work, and I delight in making spaces that feel welcoming. The issue comes when wanting, doing, or acquiring overshadows the simple practice of being. When busyness takes over, I feel out of balance. If I pause to consider what truly matters, I’m reminded to be intentional with my time and to invest it in the people who live in my home. That intention—choosing presence over perpetual production—is how I define living authentically.
When the world spins faster and faster, it’s easy to lose sight of what matters. We can convince ourselves we need more—more things, more validation, more likes—believing that those things will finally make us content. But what if we instead stayed grateful for what we already have?
The internet can amplify the urge for more: more attention, more affirmation, more purchases, more ideas. It offers a constant stream of wants and comparisons, nudging us to look outward for fulfillment. That chase can make us forget to actually live in the present. Ultimately, pursuing the next thing rarely satisfies. Whether we seek more or less, we won’t find lasting contentment if we’re always striving to reach some imagined “better” place. Being fully alive in the moment requires intentionally cultivating gratitude.
None of the things we chase will truly satisfy. Whether we long for this or that, we will likely never be content if we are frantically trying to arrive somewhere we think is better than where we are now. Being fully alive in the moment requires deliberately growing an attitude of gratitude.
I cherish the simple ritual of sitting down to dinner with my family. Choosing to slow down at the table helps me appreciate everyday blessings instead of carrying the day’s rush into the evening. When I clean, I try to replace irritation with gratitude—reminding myself I have a home and a family to care for. When I imagine new ideas for the house, I focus on projects within my means so that creativity becomes a source of contentment rather than longing. And when I step away from screens and the nonstop noise of the internet, I open space to be fully present with the people I love.
Practicing thankfulness at home is a daily discipline, and it pays off in calmer, more meaningful days.
– From my New York Times bestselling book Love the Home You Have
I was invited to join a Thankful at Home blog tour featuring 25 bloggers reflecting on how they celebrate Thanksgiving and express gratitude at home. Below is the schedule of participating blogs and their posts for the week.
Monday:
Savvy Southern Style
Finding Home
Lilacs & Longhorns
The Inspired Room
The Crafty Woman
Tuesday:
Stone Gable
Debbiedoos
What Meegan Makes
Maison de Pax
Confessions of a Plate Addict
Wednesday:
Thistlewood Farm
Eclectically Vintage
My Soulful Home
Cedar Hill Farmhouse
Southern Hospitality
Thursday:
The Lilypad Cottage
A Little Claireification
Fresh Idea Studio
Pennywise
The Rustic Pig
Friday:
Housepitality Designs
Mom4Real
Country Design Style
The Everyday Home
Unskinny Boppy