25 Things to Be Grateful For to Help You Stop Being Miserable and Enjoy Life More
I’ve noticed lately that more and more people are complaining about life, things going on in the world, money and so much more.
It’s easy to get wrapped up in all the negativity around you, and finding gratitude can sometimes be hard to do. This list of small things to be grateful for will remind you to stop and remember how blessed you are, despite what’s going on around you.
Morning Gratitude Practice
It’s important to start your morning in gratitude. If you wake up cranky, the rest of your day will reflect that mood and take you all the way to bedtime.
It doesn’t have to be that way. Whether you woke up on the wrong side of the bed or not, nip that in the butt asap.
Just say Thank You! As soon as you open your eyes. You’re alive.
Try putting on some calming music to start your day instead of the news. YouTube has a lot of wonderful morning audio. Find one and play it. It will help calm you down a bit so you can have a happy day.
Here are 25 small things you can be grateful for today and every day. Having a gratitude journal is a great way to focus on all the wonderful things you have in your life that you can be grateful for. There’s so much!
25 Small Things to Be Grateful For
So, in no particular order of importance, here is a list of things to be grateful for.
Life
I’m seriously so grateful to be alive. I woke up and have another day to enjoy life. How can you not be thankful for that?
The Gift of Sight
I opened my eyes, and I can see. How amazing is that? I can see birds and flowers and the blue sky and the sun. Yay!!
The Gift of Smell
Mmmm coffee brewing. Need I say more? There’s nothing quite like the smell of freshly brewed coffee. But wait, then there’s bacon, too….mmmm. And chocolate chip cookies, and baking bread, and the smell after a good rainshower.
Internet
We get to listen to all my great morning meditations and morning gratitude prayers via our cool apps, our phones and the internet! And we also get to connect to family and friends all around the world in a single touch.
Cellphones/Tablets/Computers/etc
Having all any or all of these things keeps us in touch with friends and family far away. For those living abroad, this is wonderful. Our electronic devices are such powerful tools. What a wonderful time we live in.
Family and Friends
Maybe you don’t have many friends or family, or you don’t get along with some of the family members you do have. At least be grateful for the ones you do have. You could have none.
Tastebuds
Because of coffee and bacon and cookies. And then there’s chocolate and vanilla tea with lemon and so much more! We don’t thank our tastebuds enough for being part of our life. Do that today!
Having a Strong Body
And I don’t mean Incredible Hulk strong, but your body is strong enough to help you out of a chair, walk down the street, open a tight jar of pickles, do exercises. Your body is amazing and capable of so many things.
Fridge and Stove
Who invented these anyway? I’m so grateful for my little fridge and gas stove because they keep my food fresh and cook it up all yummy. I live in a country where not everyone has these necessities. I’m very grateful for mine.
Coffee Maker
Mmmm coffee. When was the last time you said thank you to your coffee maker for helping you wake up in the morning or recharge your batteries mid-afternoon? Go thank that beautiful machine now.
Electricity
The source that makes it all work together. My laptop, my phone, my fridge/stove, lights- EVERYTHING! Imagine living in a world with no power. Try going without for a day or two and see how difficult it is to survive.
Clean Water
I think it’s important to know that clean water is not available to everyone all around the world. In most of Central America, you can’t drink the water from the tap, instead, we are delivered huge jugs of clean water once a week (or as needed). I’m truly grateful for this service.
Flowers
Flowers, lavender, trees, butterflies, birds, etc., and all the amazing outdoor things to see and smell. The world is full of beautiful creations from the heavens and earth and you should take time to smell the roses and be grateful for all the stunning scenery you see, every day.
Transportation
Whether you have a car, truck, bicycle, scooter or motorcycle, or you use public transportation to get to and from places, be grateful you have something to take you to the places you need to go.
Gas
Having gas means I can fuel my scooter, and it also fuels most of the means of transportation around the world. Can you imagine a world without gas? Hello Mad Max! Be grateful for gas and the oil tankers that deliver it to your town.
Clothes, Shoes, Boots
You have clothes. You aren’t running around town naked (thank God) and you have shoes on your feet, boots, and hats/mitts/scarves when you need them. Your closets are fully equipped with what you need.
Money
You have money to buy gas, food, and clothes and pay rent and light bills and everything!! Money does so much. How can you not be grateful for the money you have now? You paid for the internet so you can read this article. That’s pretty cool!
Your Brain
You seriously have to love your brain and how it works. It puts things together for you, strings ideas, and helps you formulate sentences, make decisions, and feel pain. Gosh, the brain does so much for us. Thank you, Brain!
Breath
You have to be grateful for your lungs and the oxygen that flows effortlessly through your body. If you smoke, there’s no time like the present to quit (I just did). Take a few minutes to breathe in nice and deep and breathe out. What a beautiful movement.
Teeth
You can chew yummy food, and when you smile, it makes people happy. Teeth are awesome. When was the last time you were grateful for your teeth for helping you eat and chew food!?
Television
I don’t watch much TV, to be honest, but I do enjoy the odd true crime story or a good Netflix special. And then there’s Game of Thrones and Vikings. For some, the TV is background noise to help them fall asleep. Whatever the TV does for you, be grateful you have one.
Your Skills
Whatever it is that you are good at, and we’re all really good at one or two things, be grateful you have those skills/gifts. They make you unique and the person you are today. We are all gifted in some way. Say thank you for your gift.
Roof Over Your Head
Every day you are covered from all the elements. You have a roof over your head to keep you dry in the rain and snow. It keeps you from freezing in the winter and keeps you safe. Remember, there are a lot of homeless people. No roof.
Your Bed, Blankets, Pillows
How fortunate and blessed you are to have a bed, blankets, and a pillow to rest your head on. Blankets to keep you warm, a bed to help you sleep peacefully. A safe place for you to rest after a hard day.
Knowledge
Our ability to learn and absorb knowledge is amazing. We can learn thousands of new things every day. Or maybe even one or two new things a day. It doesn’t matter how many things, the fact that we have the capacity to learn knew things is amazing.
Be Grateful For All The Small Things
You know, we’re all always grateful for life and family and good health and stuff like that, but it’s also important to be grateful for small things, too. We seem to forget those things.
When you start practicing gratitude, you allow more awesome things to come into your life to be grateful for. I love how this works!
I mean, think about this for one minute. When you whine and complain all the time, the Universe gives you more things to whine and complain about, BUT when you are grateful for things, well, guess what the Universe does?
You guessed right if you said, “It gives you more things to be grateful for.”
That’s how gratitude works!!! I love it.
