Knowing in the back of your mind that you’re grateful for the good in your life isn’t enough. If it was, people wouldn’t notice improvements in their lives when they begin expressing gratitude on a daily basis. Just as it’s important to tell your partner you love them despite the fact they already know, you must vocalize or write down what you’re grateful for.
We’ve compiled a list of things to be grateful for to help you get into the habit of expressing gratitude. Many people struggle in the beginning to think of what to be grateful for. This list aims to solve that problem, so they can enjoy the benefits of practicing gratitude.
The items listed are in no particular order.
- Being alive. As long as you’re alive, you have a chance to turn your life around and create your happy ending.
- Your mind. The most powerful tool at your disposal is your mind.
- Health. Good health is one of the top things to be grateful for because it lets you maximize productivity and fully enjoy life.
- Good mental health. If you’re in good mental health or you have overcome a mental health problem, that’s something to be grateful for. Mental health problems can be debilitating.
- Healthy family. When your family is healthy, remember to list it when you think of what you’re thankful for.
- Hugs. Hugging someone is a simple way of improving your mood, something that has been scientifically proven.
- Good friends. Having a few good friends who are supportive of you and help motivate you makes life better.
- A good sibling. Having a trusted sibling you can talk to about problems is a blessing.
- Shelter. “A roof over your head” is one of the most common examples given in gratitude, but it’s one of the most important too.
- Living in a safe neighborhood. A person sleeps better at night when they know they live in a safe neighborhood.
- Good parents. Not everyone has good parents, so it’s a blessing if you do.
- The ability to see. Getting through the world would be much more difficult without eyesight.
- Your significant other. If you have a loving, supportive significant other, never forget how grateful you are for them.
- Time. Be thankful for the time you have on Earth because you don’t know how much you have left.
- The ability to hear. Being able to hear lets you fully enjoy music and increases your safety in the world because you will be alerted when something is wrong.
- Options. We live in a world full of options. When you go to the store, you have at least five different brands of a particular product to choose from.
- More than one path. Many things in life have more than one path to success, so you can choose which route works for you.
- Choices. You are free to make whatever choices you want in life.
- Rainy days. Are you someone who finds the sound of rain soothing?
- Sunny days. Beautiful sunny days often put people in a good mood.
- Hiking trails. Going out in nature is therapeutic. Thanks to hiking trails, you can spend time in nature while getting cardio exercise. Hiking trails are safer than trying to brave an unkempt forest on your own.
- Internet. The Internet is one of the greatest inventions. It allows you to connect with anyone around the world in real-time, learn new things, and earn money.
- Text messaging. Sending text messages can be a fast, convenient way of sending someone an important message.
- Coffee. A world without coffee? Not many people would want to imagine that.
- Chocolate. Just like with coffee, most people wouldn’t want to live in a world without chocolate.
- Video chat. Wherever you go in the world, you can enjoy face time with your loved ones thanks to the invention of video chat.
- Translators. Without translators, you wouldn’t be able to understand what’s going on in your favorite Spanish soap opera. You wouldn’t be able to learn much of the world’s wisdom either.
- Library. For those who don’t have a lot of discretionary income, a library is a great place to check out books you’d like to read for free.
- Books. You can immerse yourself in a fictional story to let the stresses of the world slip away for a bit or read a non-fictional book to learn new things.
- Cars. People can travel farther faster thanks to cars.
- Medicine. Taking medicine while you’re sick can help you recover faster or experience relief from painful or uncomfortable symptoms.
- Planner. A planner helps you organize your life and achieve your goals faster. The Clever Fox Planner has a section on gratitude where you can write what you’re grateful for. You can easily develop the habit of practicing gratitude by tracking it in the planner’s habit tracker.
- Having a job. Whether you love your job or not, it’s a blessing in your life because it gives you the money that you need for keeping the roof over your head, enjoying a cup of coffee in the morning, etc.
- Good habits. Feel grateful for the good habits you already have in place that let you live a healthier, happier, more productive life.
- Going to college or university. If you have a college degree or you’re currently attending college, it’s something to be grateful for. Having a college education opens up more job opportunities.
- Access to higher education. Even if you haven’t attended college or university, you have access to this higher education, something people of certain demographics didn’t in the past.
- Your favorite author. They helped take your mind on interesting adventures where you could forget the real world for a few hours.
- Emojis. Text messages without emojis can be taken the wrong way. Emojis help you express yourself better through text.
- Your favorite dessert. Indulging in the sweetness of your favorite dessert is a nice treat for yourself.
- Socks. They keep your feet warm, especially during cold weather.
- Today’s light bulbs. The original light bulb only lasted a few minutes.
- Stillness. The stillness you feel when you meditate is soothing.
- Having time to rest. Remember to express your gratitude whenever you have time to rest.
- Clean drinking water. Not everyone in the world has immediate access to clean drinking water.
- Electricity. Studies have shown that quality of life improves when people have electricity. It streamlines many everyday tasks to free up time you can spend on other things.
- Washing machine. You save time by washing your clothes in a washing machine instead of by hand.
- The opportunity to improve your health. If your health isn’t where you’d like it to be, you have the opportunity to improve it in various ways, which is something to be grateful for.
- Hot showers. If you’ve ever taken a cold shower, you have a greater appreciation for hot showers.
- Clean laundry smell. It’s something simple but many people feel delighted when they smell freshly cleaned clothes or sheets.
- Access to good healthcare. When you’re sick, you have access to good healthcare. You can gain second and third opinions as well as try different doctors until you find one you like.
- A good roommate. Get along well with your roommate? This is another thing to be grateful for.
- Access to healthy food. You probably don’t have to ever worry about access to healthy food.
- Being good at cooking. You’ll find it easier to eat meals at home when you’re good at cooking.
- Life is free of drama. Drama is a major stressor in some people’s lives.
- Your favorite teachers. Have any good memories from teachers who were funny or supportive of you?
- Good memories with loved ones. Something that everyone has is good memories with loved ones.
- Seeing people you love live well. When we love someone, we want to see them live happily.
- Fun trips with loved ones. You have probably had at least one fun trip with your loved ones.
- Not being famous. If you’re not a celebrity or public figure, you have the joy and peace of leaving the house without everyone ready to photograph and gossip about you.
- Netflix. A Netflix subscription is less expensive than cable TV.
- Every day is a new beginning. Each day you have a chance to begin fresh as long as you adopt that mindset.
- Having an emergency fund. If you have money saved as an emergency fund, then you can list this as something you’re grateful for.
- Money in the bank. Having extra money in the bank reduces your stress and increases happiness.
- Freedom of religion. In countries where freedom of religion exists, many people take it for granted because they grew up with that protection.
- Pets. Having pets is therapeutic and can give you many good laughs. Cuddling with them when you’re feeling down is comforting.
- The ability to read. In history, governments oppressed certain demographics by not allowing them to learn how to read.
- Your bed. A bed to sleep in and rest in when you’re sick is a thing to be grateful for.
- Smartphones. A smartphone is like a computer you can hold on the palm of your hand.
- When a stranger is kind to you. Remember to take a moment to feel gratitude when a stranger does something nice for you.
- Your favorite blanket. It’s comforting to wrap yourself in a soft blanket and relax.
- Campfires. There’s something satisfying about sitting by the campfire feeling its warmth and listening to the crackling of wood.
- Holidays. Holidays are an excuse to have fun, and you may be able to take time off of work or school.
- Freedom of speech. If you live in a country that protects your freedom of speech, then remember to feel grateful that you can express your honest opinions without severe consequences.
- Indoor plumbing. The invention of indoor plumbing helped prevent diseases from spreading.
- Grocery stores. You most likely don’t have to grow your own food, which saves a lot of time and minimizes stress.
- Diversity. Diversity makes the world an interesting place.
- Air conditioning. Without air conditioning, it would be so hot inside you could get a heat stroke.
- Heating. Whether you have a space heater or central heating, it keeps you warm during the cold months.
- Anyone who teaches you something new. Always set aside a few seconds to consciously think of how grateful you are someone took the time to teach you something new.
- Children. The innocence and playfulness of children can help you feel lighter again.
- Freedom to vote. In most countries, citizens have the freedom to vote on important issues to them and who they want in office.
- Surprises. Good surprises always make you feel happy and excited. Don’t forget to give thanks for those moments.
- Glasses. If your vision is poor, glasses help you see at 20/20.
- Restaurants. It’s nice being able to go to an establishment where someone else prepares your meal for you.
- Fast food restaurants. A cheaper, faster alternative to regular restaurants are fast food joints. It’s perfect for when you are in a rush and don’t have time to cook.
- WiFi. Originally, people needed cables connected to use the Internet, but the invention of WiFi gives us convenient wireless access.
- Weather forecast. Meteorologists keep you updated on what weather to expect and give you important alerts to natural disasters like hurricanes and tornadoes.
- Police officers. When a crime has been committed, you can call the local police department for help.
- Firefighters. If your home ever catches on fire, you’re not left to handle putting it out on your own. Professional firefighters will come ASAP when you call the emergency number. If you want to build an uplifting gratitude habit in your home check out this useful post.
- Dryer. You don’t have to hang your clothes to dry on a clothesline when you have access to a dryer.
- Your camera. The camera is a wonderful invention that lets you permanently capture moments in the form of photographs. Your memory may become fuzzy but photographs don’t if they’re stored with care.
- Video cameras. You can capture longer moments with a video camera that you can rewatch whenever you want. Again, this is much clearer than trying to rely on your memory of the event.
- The ability to earn money online. There are many possibilities for earning money online, such as affiliate marketing, becoming a social media influencer, managing social media accounts for others, selling artwork, and taking surveys.
- Finding something that was lost. If you lose something and find it, take a moment of gratitude. Many people don’t pause to think of how grateful they are to have found the item.
- Airplanes. Visiting other countries and traveling within your own country is faster thanks to airplanes.
- Hotels. Without hotels, where would you sleep when you’re traveling?
- Freebies. Whenever you get something for free like a sample or a free item from a company running a promotion, remember to think of how grateful you are.
- Sales. It’s always a good feeling when you spend less money than anticipated at the store. Express gratitude for sales in your gratitude practice.
- Payday. Every time you receive your paycheck, write down that you’re grateful for it.
- Good co-workers. Having good co-workers can make for a positive experience at work.
- Comfortable clothes. Most people have access to comfortable clothing that isn’t scratchy or ill-fitting.
- Delivery. When you don’t want to go out or cook from home, you can have warm food delivered to your door.
- The ability to shop online. Another great thing to be thankful for is the ability to shop online because it saves you a trip of going to the store and the items are delivered to your home.
- Public transportation. If you don’t have a car, you can use public transportation like the bus and train to get around.
- Bicycles. Riding a bicycle is one way to get around the city when you don’t have a car, and it provides good exercise.
- Having passion. Anything you’re passionate about is worth being grateful for because it makes life enjoyable and can give you a sense of purpose.
- Scientific method. You may not have enjoyed learning about the scientific method in school but it’s invaluable. The scientific method allows people to learn more about themselves and the world in order to live better, healthier lives.
Insights and Takeaways
Practicing gratitude involves setting aside time each day to run through what you’re grateful for. You can write it down or think it in your mind. Most people find it more beneficial to write it down in a gratitude journal or the gratitude section of their planners.
Hopefully, after going through this list of 107 things to be grateful for, you won’t struggle to think of anything. It doesn’t matter how small or large it is, everything is worth being grateful for from the hot cup of coffee you had in the morning to the compliment you received at work to the special person you want to spend the rest of your life with.