An Example Gratitude List to Get You Started
The truth is, it’s much easier to focus on the negative things that happen in life as opposed to the positive. That’s because most people take the good things in life for granted, even though there are so many of them. That being the case, the bad things that happen in life get more attention. But there are many things to be grateful for in this world.
Being grateful for what you have is an important part of staying positive and enjoying your life. But maybe you feel that there’s nothing to be grateful for? What do you really have, right? Well, there’s a lot more than you think. Here’s an example gratitude list to get you started on identifying things you can be thankful for.
You’re Alive (The Most Obvious of Our Gratitude List
This might sound simple, even silly. After all, being alive is the bare minimum, right? Is that even worth being grateful for? Well, it really is. Look at it this way: as long as you’re alive, there is potential to turn around any bad situation. Maybe you have financial problems. Maybe your relationships aren’t going so well.
Whatever problem you face in life, the very fact that you are still alive means you have the potential to experience something better down the line. That may not sound like much, but hey, the ability to enjoy anything in life is dependent on you being here.
You’re Important to Someone, Somewhere
Not everyone is close to their family. Not everyone has legions of friends. But even if it’s a lone uncle or one friend you talk to occasionally online, you’ve got someone out there who cares about you, and that’s something to be grateful for. Loneliness is a terrible thing, and it always pays to remember that you could have no one.
It Could Always Be Worse
This phrase is usually said by people to try and imply that you shouldn’t complain about anything, because someone, somewhere, has it worse than you. Of course, that notion is silly. While it’s true that life could always be worse, that doesn’t mean you aren’t entitled to feel troubled about things that are important to your life.
That being said, it is still something you should keep in mind. Your troubles in life are important. But chances are, you don’t have to fight for survival every day. Just by the fact that you can read this article on the internet, you probably eat every day and have somewhere to sleep. Those things are often taken for granted, but you should be grateful for them.
Your Health
Most everyone has some sort of health problem, ranging from minor to major. But assuming you aren’t afflicted with some terrible ailment, the health of your body is definitely something you should be grateful for. Being able to go through life without extra suffering or pain is definitely something to appreciate.
And even if you do have some health issue plaguing you, at the very least, you should appreciate which aspects of your health you do have.
The Beauty of the World Around You
It’s easy to forget just how gorgeous the world truly is sometimes. After all, with how busy life can get, there just doesn’t seem to be enough time to stop and appreciate a beautiful sunset, the picturesque ocean, or the mountains. No matter where you live, there is something beautiful in this world to behold.
Along that line, one should also be grateful for their ability to even perceive those things. The five senses are something to be immensely grateful for, for they allow us to perceive things of true beauty. We can see the vivid world around us, hear the voices of our loved ones, feel the touch of those we are close to, and more.
Such things may seem small and not worth expressing gratitude over, but just take a moment to imagine what life would be like without them. Imagine that you couldn’t see the blue of the sky or the green of trees, that you couldn’t hear birdsong or music. We take these things for granted, but they should be appreciated.
All the Small Things on Your Gratitude List
When it comes to an example gratitude list to get you started on being more optimistic, this one may seem a little vague or far-reaching. Are all these small, given aspects of life really worth being grateful over? Well, as mentioned previously, just try to imagine life without them, and how rough such a life would really be.
When you start to acknowledge how much worse things would be if you did not have the seemingly small things in life, suddenly the travails you are facing don’t seem quite as all-encompassing. Learn to be grateful for everything you take for granted, and suddenly you will find yourself capable of much more optimism than before!