Last Updated on September 2, 2024
Humans are hardwired to want more. That explains why the richest man on the planet hasn’t stopped working and investing. Or why the world’s smartest inventors never stopped experimenting with newer ideas.
In our quests for more success and happiness, we get so preoccupied that we miss a chance to appreciate all the beautiful things around us. But no matter what you’re going through in your life, there’s always a ridiculous amount of good to be thankful for.
Expressing gratitude is a perfect way to count your blessings, and there are usually more that life has given you than you could ever imagine. The culture of expressing gratitude may also reduce anxiety and elevate your mood, thereby improving your overall mental health. Plus, it may help to boost self-esteem and improve relationships.
So, once in a while, it’s important to pause and look around for anything you can be thankful for. And the good news is, you won’t have to look too hard.
Things To Be Thankful For
In this post, I introduce the 60 amazing things to be grateful for. Most of these are things you normally take for granted, but without which life would be meaningless.
1. The fact that you’re alive – Your mere existence is itself a miracle. Otherwise, what good did you do to deserve to live?
2. Good health – Millions are bedridden. But you’re here celebrating health and vitality.
3. The good health of your family and friends – The health of your near and dear ones is just as important as your own health. So, it’s equally worth expressing gratitude for.
4. The absence of disability – You’re not blind, deaf, crippled, or living with any other disability. A reason right there to be thankful for.
5. The fact that none of your friends or relatives is living with a disability – Handling an autistic child or a wheelchair user every day is anything but amusing. So, you should count yourself lucky if none of your family or friends is living with a disability.
6. Your home – As the adage goes, there’s no place like home.
7. Your parents – They’ve done a lot more than just bring you into this world.
8. Your siblings – Your childhood may have been punctuated by unending sibling rivalries. But siblings are some of the closest companions life has given us.
9. Your spouse/partner – They gave up quite a lot to be with you. They shower you with matchless love and believe in you even when everyone else doubts your potential.
10. Your kids – Consider millions of people who can’t have kids of their own. Or millions more whose kids never lived to reach the prime of their lives.
11. Your neighbor – Frankly speaking, this will depend on the kind of neighbor you have. It’s not lost to us that some neighbors can be a pain in the butt. However, certain neighbors are so charming you’d never want to move out of the neighborhood.
12. Living in a safe neighborhood – There’s a magical feeling when you know you won’t wake up to the news of burglaries, murders, or rapes within your neighborhood.
13. Your friends – They may not be related to us by blood. But some friends understand us more than our own relatives ever could.
14. Modern medicine – Thanks to contemporary medicine, you know you can no longer die of chickenpox or marasmus.
15. Electricity – How boring would life be without electricity? Simply unfathomable.
16. The opportunity to get good education – Not everyone was lucky to have gone through college.
17. The ability to read and write – You’d miss so much if you were unable to read this post.
18. Modern technology – From smartphones to laptops, smartwatches, home automation systems, etc. Anything that makes you enjoy life beyond the status of mere survival is worth celebrating.
19. Glamorous clothing – You can make a fashion statement whenever you wish. Isn’t that something?
20. An abundance of food – The ability to eat whatever you crave is a privilege worth being grateful for.
21. Clean water – You should also count yourself privileged if you don’t have to worry about the safety of your drinking water.
22. A job – Unemployment rates continue to soar globally. So, you’re lucky you have a job, even if it may not be so stable.
23. A positive work environment – An understanding boss, kind coworkers, and a generally enabling office environment are things to be grateful for.
24. Finishing a tiring piece of work – The project may have been challenging. But you pulled it through and that’s something to be grateful for.
25. Feeling relaxed – A stress-free life is something worth being thankful for, particularly when you consider the number of people grappling with anxiety disorders.
26. The weekends – Oh, that feeling when you know you won’t have to wake up at 4:00 am!
27. A good night’s sleep – Waking up feeling younger and revitalized is an experience to relish forever.
28. Learning from mistakes – That feeling when you know you’ll do it better next time!
29. A good book – Mentally-enriching books have a way of making us feel happier.
30. An uplifting piece of music – This one requires no explanation.
31. A funny movie – If a comedy film or Netflix special leaves you in stitches, then it’s definitely worth being thankful for.
32. An awesome piece of art – Whether it’s a painting by Picasso or a caricature of Kim Jong-un, a stunning artwork is something deserving of celebration.
33. Visiting an architectural marvel – From the Empire State Building in New York City to The Burj Khalifa in Dubai, these thrill-inspiring landmarks are things to be thankful for.
34. Reading about the ancient wonders – The mere mention of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon or the Great Pyramid of Giza is enough to make you pause and express thanks for all the beautiful things around you.
35. Challenges – This may sound ironic but without challenges, you wouldn’t appreciate all the joys of life.
36. Other people’s kindness – Kind gestures make you feel special and appreciated.
37. Your pet – Our furry, feathery, and even scaly friends have a way of livening up an otherwise dull day.
38. Money in the bank – Even if you only have two dollars in your bank account, you’re already richer than millions of people around the world.
39. Being debt-free – It’s great when you know you won’t be expecting calls from your creditors any time soon.
40. Having paid your bills – There’s a sense of relief that comes right after settling your monthly bills.
41. Having enough money to donate – An excellent way to contribute towards the greater good of humanity.
42. Having investments – Nothing offers a sense of financial security better than knowing you have profitable investments to your name.
43. Traveling – Nothing beats the feeling of being able to explore enchanting destinations.
44. Your sense of sight – The fact that you can behold and marvel at all the beauty in the world is definitely something worth celebrating.
45. Your sense of hearing – Imagine what life would be if there were no way to hear your favorite music or the heartwarming words of others.
46. Your sense of smell – How would life be if you were unable to pick up the smell of aromatic oils diffusing across the room?
47. Your sense of taste – Smell and taste go hand in hand.
48. Your sense of touch – Touch is an essential part of how we explore the world around us.
49. Freedom of assembly – The fact that you can gather together and express your shared ideas is indeed a reason to be grateful.
50. Freedom of speech – Not only can you assemble but you can also ventilate your opinions without fear of prejudice. That’s truly something to be grateful for.
51. Freedom of worship – In some countries, you’d endure endless persecution just for professing your religion. So, thank God that your country allows for freedom of worship.
52. Freedom of political association – Another excellent type of freedom to be grateful for.
53. Freedom to vote – There are many countries around the world where the masses are grossly disenfranchised. Worse yet, some electoral systems are so flawed that voters only participate in polls whose outcomes have already been predetermined. So, thank heavens that you can still impact change in your jurisdiction through voting.
54. A stable government – Political stability…almost every other thing depends on it.
55. Not being incarcerated – When you consider how many people are behind bars for crimes they never committed, you find one more thing to be grateful for.
56. Sunshine – Not only does sunshine make earth beautiful and habitable. It also uplifts your spirits.
57. The birth of a baby – After nine months of mood swings, swollen feet, and quirky food cravings, it’s great to know you delivered a healthy baby.
58. Free Wi-Fi – Just to know you can browse the internet whenever you please is something to be thankful for.
59. Time – It’s reassuring to know you could spare some time to do the things you love.
60. Positive feedback – Favorable feedback has a way of uplifting our souls. It’s truly worth appreciating, especially if the feedback came from unlikely quarters.
Conclusion
There are thousands of things to be thankful for and we cannot possibly exhaust them in one list.
While circumstances vary from one person to another, the above-listed things apply to almost everyone struggling to find something amazing to express their gratitude for.
