Even during difficult times, there are so many things to be grateful for. In fact, intentionally focusing on gratitude can make you feel happier and help you recognize that you have far more good than bad in your life. In the United States, Thanksgiving Day is around the corner, and it’s the perfect time to make (or review) your list of things to be thankful for. So, to help, we’ve made a list of things to be thankful for — along with reasons to be thankful for what you have. Feel free to use this list as you create your own, and enjoy the opportunity to bask in gratitude for a while. And if you ever get stumped when someone asks you (maybe at the Thanksgiving table), “What are you thankful for?” consider the lists that follow as your launch pad. And don’t forget why we give thanks in the first place. It isn’t all about the food.
Benefits of Gratitude
So, what do you gain by being more grateful? Why should you ask yourself (before anyone else gets the chance), “What am I thankful for?” Check out some of the benefits of being more mindful of your blessings:
Deeper and more mindful enjoyment of the present — and the people in itMore energy and increased mental clarityA better frame of mind for forgivenessA stronger feeling of connection to and solidarity with othersMore patience with others (and with yourself)Greater generosity with others (and with yourself)Less waste and more sharingLess anxiety and better sleepBetter resilience and mental health
Gratitude is good for all of you — body, mind, and spirit. Every breath of life is cause enough for gratitude, but from the moment we wake up in the morning, it’s so much easier to focus on things that will ultimately fade from memory. Until it becomes a solid habit, it takes an effort to begin with the words “I am thankful for…” and finish with at least one thing, which could be the fact that you’re alive for another morning. Thanksgiving Day is your annual reminder to spend more time in mindful gratitude for the present and for everyone and everything that makes your life worth living or more enjoyable.
Things To Be Thankful For List
- Love — specifically our ability to give and receive love
- Family — even those who are currently hard to be around
- Friends — besides those you’re related to
- Your pet/s — or those of your family members or friends
- Your income — from a job, freelance work, etc.6. Business connections — bosses, coworkers, clients, and other business partners
- Good neighbors — because you’d rather not move (yet)
- Forgiveness and goodwill — our ability to forgive and to want the good of others (including those who’ve hurt us)
- Patience — specifically other people’s patience with you and the moments when you were challenged to mindfully practice patience
- Hope — in spite of the bumps in the road
- Time — every minute you’ve had up to now and this new day
- Quiet time — for meditation, reflection, and recovery
- Vision (eyesight) — and everything that improves it
- Your health — strong heart, clear lungs, functioning kidneys, etc.
- Your education — from birth until now
- Your mobility — the ability to get around (on your feet, by driving, etc.)
- Your home — and everything in it (that belongs there)
- Your food — every bite and drink of nourishment you’ve had and that you’ll have today
- Your clothes — every stitch of clothing you’ve worn and will wear today
- Your personal accomplishments — everything you have reason to be (humbly) proud of
- Your professional greatest hits — everything you’ve accomplished that has contributed to your professional development
- Your creations — other than your kids
- Your car/s — every car you’ve had that has gotten you to where you wanted to go, and the car/s you have now
- Books you’ve read (and enjoyed) — including those you’re still reading
- Movies and shows you’ve seen and enjoyed
- Things and people who have made you laugh until it hurts
- New and eye-opening programs/courses — and what you’ve learned from them
- Air conditioning (in the summer) — or whatever helped you stay cool
- Heating (in the colder months) & fuel for the furnace — and everything else that helped you stay warm
- Trees — for their beauty, habitats, firewood, etc.
- Wind — for the exhilarating beauty it brings to trees, water, fallen leaves, etc. (especially when it’s not destroying things)
- Rain — for its beauty and its soothing sounds (when it doesn’t cause flooding)
- Snow — for its beauty, for the perfect calm of a windless snowfall, and for snow days (mainly for the snow that is not on the roads)
- Drinking water — all its beauty and restorative power and with nothing added that takes away from it
- Oceans, lakes, rivers, streams, etc. — for their beauty and for the habitats they provide
- Electricity — on which we depend for so much (keeping food cold, cooking, lighting, etc.)
- Indoor plumbing — enough said (though that TARDIS-themed outhouse is still worth considering)
- The Internet — so we can work from home, stay connected with family and friends in other states, get our words out into the world, etc.
- Email — for personal and business use (less stressful for many of us than talking on the phone)
- Texting — a boon to introverts everywhere (ditto on the phone thing)
- Ebooks and reading apps — including Kindle and Kobo (makes your smartphone entertaining even when there’s no WiFi and you’re sharing a data plan with someone)
- Audiobooks and audiobook apps — including Audible, Kobo, and public library app (some books are even better when someone else reads them to you)
- Other tools that help you make the most of each day — alarm clock, calendar, Trello, music playlists, and any other tools you use regularly
- Journals — for all the ways they help you make sense out of life (and yourself) and create the life you want
- Farmer’s markets — think raw honey (magic for sore throats) and fresh, crunchy apples, along with starter plants for your garden, pumpkins, homemade jam, etc.
- Flip-flops — which may be the only form of footwear one of your kids will tolerate — even when there’s snow on the ground (tell me I’m not alone)
- Frozen snacks — berries, tropical fruit, thin mints, etc.
- Fresh, hot coffee (or tea) in the morning — or throughout the day (every warm mug you’ve sipped from and those you enjoy today
- Functioning laundry machines — because you don’t appreciate them as much as when they stop working
- Fresh, breathable air — because without it…. (also, on an odd but related personal note, breath mints, VapoRub, and air filters)
- Pet treats — because you love whatever makes them happy
- Hot chocolate — don’t forget the fluff or marshmallows
- Stationary bikes — because it’s nice to exercise on days when its raining and you don’t want to leave the house
- Reusable shopping bags — they’re cute and go a long way in preserving precious resources
- Scented oils — with just a few sniffs, it can raise your mood
- Auto save — the thought of it not existing sends shivers down our collective spine
- Inexpensive prescription glasses — because having lots of quirky frames is fun
- Gel pens — writing never felt so smooth
- Light bulbs — because they give light
- Candy — sweet things sometimes hit the spot
- Knowledge — learning about the world is a noble pursuit
- Mistakes — because they’re the best teachers we have
- Actual teachers — for their patience and assistance
- Period dramas — because costumes and castles are hard to beat
- Good hair days — loving how you look is empowering
- Massages — few things in life feel better
- Dollar stores — because sometimes you want to go on a shopping spree and only have $10
- Wikipedia — encyclopedias used to be prohibitively expensive and out-of-date
- Dessert — the best course of the meal
- Streaming services — because binging ranks high on the list of 21st-century joys
- Socks — on a chilly autumn or cold winter night
- Photography — allowing us to capture our moments
- Doctors — for taking the time to learn the things that keep us alive
- CBD oil — because sometimes you need a natural way to take the edge off
- Clearing up misunderstandings — it feels terrific to prevent a molehill from turning into a mountain by confronting it head-on and with compassion
- Bright colors — happy colors have the power to boost your mood
- Ballet dancers — both male and female, because graceful movement can be magical and hypnotizing
- The National Do Not Call Register — because the less noise spam in your life, the better
- Comedies — a deep laugh can be downright healing
- Holidays — celebration lifts the spirit
- National Geographic — and other media outlets that beautifully bring the world to us
- Deodorant — because without it, public life would be decidedly less aromatic
- Towels just out of the dryer — hot, soft, and pleasant smelling
- Good fortune cookie fortunes — when they’re perfect for the moment, it feels magical
- Thank you notes — it’s heartwarming to get a sincere thank you
- Positive feedback — it’s encouraging and motivating to know you’re doing a good job
- Good memories — holding on to positive memories can help your mood
- Literacy — being able to communicate with people easily is a blessing
- A completed to-do list — accomplishing all your daily goals is something to celebrate
- Genuine apologies — knowing someone is truly sorry is humanizing and humbling
- Family traditions — our brains love rituals and traditions
- The smell of fresh baked goods — but if you’re eating mindfully, it can be too tempting!
- Help — life is tough, and having support from friends, family, or caretakers makes things much easier
- Hot showers after a tough day or workout — standing underneath the beating water can feel healing
- Your favorite chair — a comfortable place to sit is something we take for granted
- A great meal — nourishing and delicious food is a delight
- Road trips — especially if you love adventure
- Bumping into old friends — if you like them and just lost touch
- The ability to easily learn about other cultures — expanding knowledge is never a bad idea
- Perfect pictures — where everyone is smiling
- Chapstick — a cold, dry winter days82.
- GPS — for those of us without an innate sense of direction
- Duct tape — because there’s not much it can’t do
- Funny/sweet animal videos — on a bad day, they can make everything better
- Food delivery services — because sometimes you don’t have an ounce of energy left
- Sleeping in late — the definition of indulgent
- Public holidays — a day off is always welcome
“Thankful for You” Sayings
- “In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.” – Albert Schweitzer (for those who stoke the fire in you)
- “Gratitude is one of the least articulate of the emotions, especially when it is deep.” – Felix Frankfurter (for when you’re so grateful, you struggle to put it into words).
- “When eating a fruit, think of the person who planted the tree.” – Vietnamese Proverb (for all the good fruit that others’ words and actions have yielded in your life)
- “By the way, I’m wearing the smile that you gave me.” – Unknown (for those who make you smile when you think of them)
- “You may forget with whom you laughed, but you will never forget with whom you wept.” – Kahlil Gibran (for those who have mourned with you).
- “There is no better way to thank God for your sight than by giving a helping hand to someone in the dark.” – Helen Keller (for those who have helped you find your way)
- “No matter how sure you are that a friend will be there for you, it’s the greatest feeling when the time comes, and there they are.” – Robert Brault (for those who have been there for you when it mattered most)
- “Thank you, dear God, for this good life and forgive us if we do not love it enough. Thank you for the rain. And for the chance to wake up in three hours and go fishing: I thank you for that now, because I won’t feel so thankful then.” – Garrison Keillor (for those who bless us in ways that don’t always feel like blessings)
- “Thank you to our farmers for all you do to keep food on our tables.” – Elise Stefanik
- ”You know how some folks will answer your soul-searching question with a long, stream-of-consciousness monologue that has nothing to do with your question and then, when you try to remind them of the question, they ask you not to interrupt…. Thank you for never doing that. Thank you for listening, for asking thoughtful questions, and for not interrupting. It means a lot. Really. I cannot thank you enough!” – Anonymous (for the good conversation partners in your life)
- “We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.” — Thornton Wilder (for those who make you feel most alive when you’re thinking of them)
- “Thanks to those who listened; you made me feel like I was worth it.” – Unknown (for those who have taken the time to really listen to you)
- “Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.” — Gordon T. Watts (for the people in your life who light you up inside).
- “To get the full value of joy, you must have someone to divide it with.” — Mark Twain (for those with whom you share your joy – from the greatest to the smallest)
- “A friend may well be reckoned the masterpiece of nature.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson (for your best friends, who are miracles as well as masterpieces)
- “I have learned that to be with those I like is enough.” — Walt Whitman (for all those whose company you enjoy)
- “Sweet is the memory of distant friends! Like the mellow rays of the departing sun, it falls tenderly, yet sadly, on the heart.” — Washington Irving (for friends who are far away)
- “Thank you for seeing past my attempts to be brave and to spare you the drama of what I’m going through. Thank you for wanting my company even when I’m pretty sure I’m hard to be around. Because of you, I know what a friend is.” – Anonymous (for someone who has demonstrated the best side of empathy)
- “You’re my favorite bowl of soup when I’m cold, and the freshest, coldest water when I’m overheated and tired. You’re the seasoning on my chicken and the crunchy bits in my salad. You make everything better!” – Anonymous
Thankfulness Quotes for Any Occasion
- “Never take anything for granted.” — Benjamin Disraeli
- “I’m thankful to be breathing, on this side of the grass. Whatever comes, comes.” — Ron Perlman
- “I’m grateful for always this moment, the now, no matter what form it takes.” — Eckhart Tolle
- “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.” — Melody Beattie
- ”Make it a habit to tell people thank you. To express your appreciation, sincerely and without the expectation of anything in return. Truly appreciate those around you, and you’ll soon find many others around you. Truly appreciate life, and you’ll find that you have more of it.” — Ralph Marston
- “No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks.” — James Allen
- “A grateful heart is a beginning of greatness. It is an expression of humility. It is a foundation for the development of such virtues as prayer, faith, courage, contentment, happiness, love, and well-being.” — James E. Faust
- “Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” — Melody Beattie
- “Gratitude opens the door to the power, the wisdom, the creativity of the universe. You open the door through gratitude.” — Deepak Chopra
- “The real gift of gratitude is that the more grateful you are, the more present you become.” — Robert Holden
- “It is through gratitude for the present moment that the spiritual dimension of life opens up.” — Eckhart Tolle
- “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues but the parent of all others.” — Cicero
- “Have gratitude for the things you’re discarding. By giving gratitude, you’re giving closure to the relationship with that object, and by doing so, it becomes a lot easier to let go.” — Marie Kondo
- “The essence of all beautiful art, all great art, is gratitude.” — Friedrich Nietzsche
- “Nothing new can come into your life unless you are grateful for what you already have.” — Michael Bernhard
- “When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light, for your life, for your strength. Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself.” — Tecumseh
- “Of all the characteristics needed for both a happy and morally decent life, none surpasses gratitude. Grateful people are happier, and grateful people are more morally decent.” — Dennis Prager
- “I was complaining that I had no shoes till I met a man who had no feet.” — Confucius
- “Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world.” – John Milton
- “Gratitude helps you to grow and expand; gratitude brings joy and laughter into your life and into the lives of all those around you.” – Eileen Caddy
- “Appreciation can make a day — even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary.” – Margaret Cousins
- “The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness.” – Dalai Lama
- “Thank you, universe, for all the good things in my life that I don’t yet know about…” – Unknown
- “In ordinary life we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich.” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer
- “He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.: – Epictetus
- “Saying thank you creates love.” – Daphne Rose Kingma 27. “Trade your expectations for appreciation and your whole world changes in an instant.” – Tony Robbins
- ”None is more impoverished than the one who has no gratitude. Gratitude is a currency that we can mint for ourselves, and spend without fear of bankruptcy.” – Fred De Witt Van Amburgh
- “Wake at dawn with a winged heart, and give thanks for another day of loving.” Kahlil Gibran
- “If we don’t feel grateful with what we already have, what makes us think we will be happy with more?” – Unknown
Why You Need A Gratitude List
Whatever you’re doing, having a gratitude list reminds you of the goodness in your life and to be grateful for all of it, especially when the weight of your concerns lies heavily on your shoulders. It’s easy to get distracted by whatever is going wrong. It’s more urgent. It cries out for your attention and arouses all the powerful negative emotions that go with it. It feels like an emergency, even when it isn’t. Gratitude, though, is always important. Without it, the good things in your life go off the radar, and the bad things are all you see — and all you seem to have room for. Without gratitude, nothing else makes sense. With it, everything that belongs in your life falls into place. So, think of your Thanksgiving gratitude list as your annual soul check — and as an early Christmas gift to yourself.
30 Gratitude Cards (Free Printable Download)
Are there special people in your life you are thankful for? Show your appreciation with a “random act of gratitude” during the next 30 days. Download our free printable thank you words of appreciation and share them with friends, family, or school teachers! Here’s what you do:
- Download the PDF printable gratitude list pages (immediate access, no opt-in required).
- Make additional copies of the pages if you wish.
- Cut the thankfulness messages along the dotted lines.
- Over the next 30 days, leave these surprise gratitude messages for others to brighten their day. Put them on your spouse’s pillow, on a friend’s car, on a co-worker’s desk, or in a stranger’s mailbox.
How and When to Use Your Gratitude List Ideas
We’ve listed many things to be grateful for, but how can you activate them to enhance your day-to-day life? We’ve developed a few ideas.
When Gratitude Journaling
The jury and studies are in, and the verdict is that journaling is excellent for your mental health. Truth be told, psychologists, psychiatrists, and neuroscientists aren’t 100% positive about why it’s so helpful, but it’s undeniable that it is. People who journal are less stressed, more even-keeled, and have an easier time working through hardships. One popular method is gratitude journaling. Easy and helpful, all you have to do is write down five or more things you’re grateful for that day. On bad days, it can be rough, but it can also keep you from spiraling downward.
As Art Inspiration
Art is a wonderful way to express yourself — even if you’re not an artist. Making art is also great for your brain. It works our creative muscles and encourages fresh neural pathways, which keeps the brain young and agile. You can use things for which you’re grateful as inspiration. And don’t forget that your works needn’t be literal representations. Using concepts abstractly can also be a good “workout” for the mind.
During Meditations
Meditating is an excellent way to calm your nerves and center yourself. Studies show it’s also effective in promoting cardiovascular and mental health, with some research suggesting that it helps slow aging. Focusing on things we’re grateful for can decrease anxiety and improve mood.
As A Bucket List
If you’re bored, why not do some of the things on the list? Get ice cream or sit in a park. Take advantage of your day off or send a friend a sweet apology letter for something you did months ago but still feel bad about. And don’t forget that doing nice things for other people also lifts your mood.
Did you enjoy this list of things to be thankful for?
If you found value in this article, I hope you’ll share it and encourage others to pass it on. Whatever kind of day you’re having, by focusing on what you are thankful for, you remind others to do the same, and you spread the wealth of the benefits that go with it. Though not all the items listed are specific things for which to be grateful, each can serve to trigger a memory that will make it easier for you to compose your own gratitude list. And that’s the whole purpose of this article. May you be blessed, and may you share those blessings with others.
