credit-Magda Ehlers-Pexels
80 Things To Be Grateful For
An attitude of gratitude
What are you thankful for? Sometimes I'll ask that question and the reply is a resounding "NOTHING". Nothing? Really? I am at times both saddened and angered by that response. I am saddened because they can't find a single thing in their entire life to be thankful for. I am angered because they choose not to see all the good in and around them.
There is so much in life to be grateful for if you would just press pause, step back, and make an accounting of all the good that surrounds you. That can include your family, friends, nature, health, food, shelter, the wonder that is you, and so much more. It just becomes easy to get sidetracked by the things that happen to us, especially if events don't transpire the way we planned or hoped for.
Have you lost a job? Me too.
Have you lost a loved one? Me too.
Have you had your heart broken? Me too.
Have you been injured? Me too.
Life happens to us all. Sometimes the punch to the gut is hard enough to take our breath away. It can knock us to our knees but it doesn't have the power to keep us there. In an earlier post (40 Positive Affirmations...) I told you that positive and negative thoughts can't occupy your mind at the same time. Gratitude helps resurrect us because joy and misery cannot co-exist. Joy offsets depression, anxiety, and hopelessness creating redirection and momentum towards a positive mindset.
"Gratitude is the wine for the soul. Go on. Get drunk."
-Rumi
Why be grateful?
An attitude of gratitude matters for many reasons:
- It creates perspective. Something bad may happen but not only bad happens.
- It anchors your mind. It helps us to see what is there instead of what isn't.
- It improves overall mental health. Reviewing what you have to be thankful for is an essential part of having a positive outlook on life.
- It provides retrospect. Making a tally of what you are grateful for allows you to look forward to good things in the future.
How do you be more grateful?
It doesn't have to be hard at all. Just commit yourself to taking a few minutes at the start of your day to be thankful. Write down just 5 things every morning that you are glad to have in your life. It doesn't have to be complicated as long as you do it sincerely. You can use:
- Scratch paper
- A notepad
- A Gratitude Journal. This allows you to archive and be able to look back at whenever your answer to the question looks like "NOTHING".
There are some apps available also to help digitize your journey. Here are a few:
- Think up
- Day One Journal
- Five Minute Journal App
- Grateful
Don't overthink it but do positively undertake the process with a thankful heart. Whether or not you choose to do the journal approach it's helpful to think of your gratitude list within categories like:
- Things
- People
- Places
- Discovery
Struggling with getting started still? You are not alone. We are living in times of turmoil and negative news and views bombard are days relentlessly.
I've put together a list of things that I'm grateful for. It's certainly not my complete list and everything on my list may not be relevant to you. That's okay. Some things on your list may not be relevant to me.
Use this list to kick-start your own and refer back to this blog whenever life happens and you need a fresh look to get back on track.
You'll come to realize that there is no end to things to be grateful for. You just have to look.
80 Things To Be Grateful For
- God
- My wife
- Ability to breathe
- The smell of the air after a rainfall
- Flowers
- Love
- Faith
- Ability to reason
- Road trips
- Laughter
- Pets
- Favorite foods
- The changing seasons
- Good health
- Mountains
- Hugs
- My kids and grandkids
- Dreams
- Good books
- Holidays
- My home
- Ability to feel
- Eyes to see
- Friends
- Romance
- The Bible
- Ability to improve
- Forgiveness
- Hope
- Memories
- Flowers
- Second chances
- Cool evening breezes
- Ice cold drinks on a hot summer day
- Favorite music
- Comfy pair of shoes
- Ears to hear
- Challenges that grow me
- Rainbows
- New beginnings
- Freedom
- Warm showers
- Plants and trees
- My mom
- Rest and relaxation
- Shared experiences
- Sunshine
- My ability to help others
- Clean water
- Ocean waves
- Doctors
- Greeting cards
- Healing
- Ability to read
- My brothers and sister
- Nature
- Travelling
- The future
- My aunt
- Desserts
- My country
- Kisses
- Loyalty
- Waking up in the morning
- Freshly falling snow
- Diet Pepsi (remember it's my list)
- Great movies
- Birds singing
- Holding hands
- A starry night
- Family cookouts
- My wife's smile
- People that read my blog
- Elevators
- A text from a friend or loved one
- Working from home
- Old pictures
- Watching my wife's favorite shows with her
- Positive people
- Dates with my wife
"Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more."
-Oprah Winfrey
There is almost too much to be grateful for. The 80 things I listed only make up a very small portion of the things I'm thankful for every day. Most of them are not grand material things and even though I'm grateful for money in the bank, computers, cell phones, internet service, and more, most of my joy comes from the simple things that no amount of money can buy.
Remember to be grateful for the one-of-a-kind human being that God created which is you. You are unique and wonderfully made. There has never been another you and never will be.
Don't be glad "when", be glad "now". Be grateful for what you have while you work towards what you want.
Every day is unique in its own way. Even if you hold a job that involves the same routine and you take the same route each time, many little things are precious and beautiful too. Just look for them and you'll be surprised what you find.
Start each day with a joyful and thankful heart.
Give thanks for the things money can't buy. I heard Denzel Washington once say, "You won't see a U-Haul behind a hearse." You can't take it with you.
Enjoy your life - not the one someone else has.
Now, what have you got to be grateful for?
"In everything give thanks..."
- 1 Thessalonians 5:18
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