Things to be Grateful For
Things to be Grateful For
It’s become a well-accepted concept that practicing gratitude, whether it’s internalized or externalized, can have a number of positive psychological effects. Multiple studies found that people who express gratitude experience overall better well-being and higher levels of positivity whether they started out with mental health issues or not.
A heavily discussed facet of gratitude is exactly what it means to have gratitude in the first place. There are many definitions of gratitude offered by a variety of experts, but they all center around an appreciation of the things you receive, tangible or intangible. As it turns out, there is actually quite a lot of professional literature about gratitude, what it means, the benefits of practicing, and how we can practice it. However, by comparison, the articles that describe exactly what we should be grateful for are nowhere near as professional or studied.
Eckhart Tolle, "Thank You"
Gratitude Lists
Looking up things to be grateful for will result in a great number of articles and lists ranging in length from 5 to 1000 things, but unlike the other aspects of gratitude, what you won’t find are studies. There’s nothing bad about the articles you’ll find, but compared to the other texts about gratitude, they seem to lack substance. Many of them remind me of the lists that teachers made students write for Thanksgiving. Teachers would ask their students to write a list of things to be grateful for and almost without fail, each student would return a half-hearted response starting with things like life, water, and family before making its way down to the everyday trivialities like desks, pencils, erasers.
Items on your Thanksgiving List?
No one takes those Thanksgiving lists very seriously, and similarly, those articles don’t get much credit. In a way, this is understandable. Gratitude is usually associated with generous acts of charity, meaningful gestures, or acts of tolerance and mercy; is it really fair to extend the same feeling of deep appreciation to the trivial? Perhaps not to the same extent, but in every other sense, absolutely. Half of those articles and student lists may seem to be made up of silly trivial things, but when you give it a moment of thought, you realize that you can’t call any of those things completely wrong. The little things may be little, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t deserving of gratitude. After all, what’s wrong with appreciating a cup of coffee or a humble pencil?
It’s the Little Things
Part of the reason we should be grateful for the little things that make our lives just that little bit better is that it's exactly those little things that truly make a big difference. On the flip-side, there is actually professional research that shows how small, every-day annoyances will affect us.
Research done by Daniel Gilbert describes the Region-b Paradox. Essentially, when people have truly distressing experiences such as the death of a loved one, betrayal, or something else of the sort, their rationalization skills kick in and effort is put into recovering from it. However, when someone experiences only slightly distressing experiences, like not getting the right cup of coffee in the morning, your mind doesn’t feel the need to kickstart those rationalization skills and you get angry.
Although not as broad, there is also research to support the positive side of the little things. Studies and data analysis carried out by relationship experts writing for Psychology Today discuss how husbands who kiss their wives goodbye each morning are likely to earn more money, have better health, have better marriages, and overall, are much happier. The relationship is not causative, but the fact remains that something as small as a kiss can make a significant difference for the better. The same concept can be applied to many other small actions. It’s not uncommon for something small and nice to make someone’s entire day.
“It's a funny thing about life, once you begin to take note of the things you are grateful for, you begin to lose sight of the things that you lack.”
― Germany Kent
Thanks a Thousand
The idea that the little things in our lives oftentimes aren’t so little is the subject of an entire book by. A.J. Jacobs. Thanks A Thousand tells the story of Jacobs’ mission to thank everyone who was involved in making a small, but important part of his life: his morning cup of coffee. His quest took him months to complete and had him flying across the entire globe to thank delivery drivers, factory workers, bean farmers, and everyone in between. His story is an inspiring one and becomes another great example of how beneficial showing gratitude can be, but what we also have to take away is that the intricate and detailed process it took to make Jacobs’ cup of coffee is the same one used to make yours and similar for every other little luxury of modern-day life.
A.J. Jacobs. Thanks A Thousand
Altogether, there’s a strong case for why we need to show gratitude for the little things in life as well as the big ones. But for some, that might not be a satisfactory answer to the question what can we show gratitude for? We’ve established that almost everything that doesn’t directly make your life worse (small or large) is worth giving gratitude to and also that showing gratitude in one form another brings tangible benefits.
Everything considered, the best answer I can suggest is to show gratitude for as much as you can, even, being alive or for the things that make you feel alive.
How Can We Be Grateful?
Now understanding that things deserving of gratitude are almost ubiquitous, how can we actually show or practice gratitude?
Once again, there is actually a good deal of expert opinion on this. Many studies conducted to find the benefits of showing gratitude relied on showing gratitude through writing. Writing a simple list of what you’re grateful for or even a letter going into detail or directed at someone has shown to be an effective method of showcasing gratitude. According to research, these thank-you notes don’t even need to be delivered for the benefits to work.
Even if telling someone about your feelings of gratitude is not necessary for you to feel better, it’s better perhaps to share those feelings whenever you can. This could be as simple as giving someone a nice thank-you note, a heartfelt smile, or even a quick and simple ‘thank-you’ as you pass them by.
As simple as a thank-you note, or a heartfelt smile.
These two forms of gratitude, writing and directly communicating, can be incredibly meaningful, but are also largely common sense. If we want a full answer to the question How can we be grateful? I want to extend the answer to include doing something as simple as noticing all those delightful little things to be grateful for. It’s not much, but it just might be enough.
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Gratitude leads to contentment which is a key to happiness.
Feeling grateful that you stopped by and for your comment 😀🙏. Thank you!
You are welcome.👩
BTW this article was written by my eldest daughter Maya. She is 17 and due to graduate from High School this year. It is her first gig as a blogger!
Impressive! I thought it was you who wrote it. Looks like she is following in your footsteps.The fruit does not fall far from the tree. Good for her!
Thank you 😀🙏. Will pass on your compliment to her!
👍
I love this article. I religiously do a self inventory every day to see my part in things (if things have gone south) and give that to God to change my thinking/character defects. In addition I write down five assets and five things I’m grateful for. I also have gratitude buddies and my husband who I text five things/day to. Gratitude lists started out corny, but they have had a massive impact in switching my thinking from negative to positive. I am in gratitude for gratitude lists!!!!
Feeling grateful Andrea for your comment 😀🙏and thank you for sharing your own practice of being grateful ! An example to follow.
BTW this article was written by my eldest daughter Maya. She is 17 and due to graduate from High School this year. It is her first gig as a blogger!
Impressive for sure!
Thank you 😀🙏
Thank You!
😀🙏 Likewise!
So glad to hear that Maya's article resonates with you!
I suck at this so I’ll try and do as you said.
Hi Lily feeling grateful 😀🙏that you stopped by and for being the trigger of a new practice for you. You will see it really helps put things into perspective.
I will thanks!
Your daughter has a strong writer’s voice! It’s an excellent article. ... I agree. Just saying “Thank you” in prayer has created a huge shift in my life. My coffee mug has the words “Thank You” on it, so each morning, I bless the day.
Thank you for your kind words. Glad to hear that Maya's article resonates with you! The first thing I do in the morning when I wake up is to get a cup of coffee. Can't do without it! Note to myself: remember to be grateful to my coffee each morning which really helps me start the day happy and content!
Joanne, Very grateful for your post today and Maya’s perspective. It has given inspiration to an idea of posting a daily point of gratitude... as the first thing, before getting to the work of the day, blogging, etc. Very happy to have discovered your blog and spirit. Stephen
Stephen Thank your for your kind words of appreciation for Maya's article and for my blog. So glad you stopped by. Stay tuned-in more to come!
You are very welcome, love reading your posts and learning from your outlook! AND your daughters! 🤓
Maya, This is an impressive and inspiring article. I was just talking to my son yesterday about gratitude. We were actually talking about self care and the topic of gratitude came up as one of the important things to remember when taking care of yourself. :)
So glad to hear you enjoyed reading Maya's article and that it resonates with you! Gratitude is very much under-rated but I think it is making a come back.
Very impressive article. Your daughter seems to have a natural talent for it. Before knowing her age, which I read in the comments, I thought her to be older because of her excellent writing skills.
Thank you for your kind words of appreciation for Maya's article and writing skills. Writing comes to her naturally. Her writing is very mature (considering her age) and she has the ability to express her thoughts quite well on paper. She has always been an avid reader, when she was young she had a book with her everywhere she went! If you want to write well, I think you need first to be a keen reader.
🙏💙🙏💙🙏
Thank you Luisa for stopping by and for reading Maya's article.
🌸 💐 🌸
This was amazing and I think it safe to say, your daughter is so talented!! I am very impressed with what she wrote and think this was so true!!
Thank you Alyssa for your kind words of appreciation for Maya's article! I need to get her back here on my blog soon!
You are more than welcome!! Maya's article was amazing and I would love to read more of her work!!
Love it! Being grateful for the many things, both big and small, it’s a great way to feel at home with the universe. Awesome post! 💯
Thank you for stopping by. Glad to hear this article resonates with you! Stay tuned-in more to come!
Love your article. Totally agree. It’s the seemingly little things that we need to be grateful for.
Thank you for stopping by and for taking time to comment! Gratitude is under-rated but I think it is making a come back.
Thanks for the book recommendation. Gratefulness is a powerful thing! Rewires our brain for happiness.
Thank you for stopping by and for taking the time to comment. Stay tuned-in more to come.
very informative and helpful! I enjoyed reading it! thanks for sharing!
Thank you Christina for stopping by and for taking the time to comment! Glad to hear Maya's article resonates with you.
Hey, thanks for checking out my writing, much appreciated!
Very well written article! This is my first visit to your blog. Throughly enjoyed it!
Thank you Devinder for stopping by and for taking the time to comment. So glad to hear you enjoyed reading this article. Stay tuned-in more to come.
Expressing Gratitude is so important and vital to our overall health and well-being. Even more so when things are challenging and stressful. It shifts the focus to what's not working and painful to what we can appreciate and be grateful for!
Agree. Gratitude is underrated but I think it is making a come back.
I so loved this post! Thank you for sharing :)
Hi Joanne, I don't know if my original comment went to spam lol. But just wanted to say I LOVED the post. I'm a fan of gratitude journaling & totally recommend gratitude practices :)
Hi there. Apologies for late response. I am not sure why a lot of the comments on this article went totally under the radar?! But I am rectifying this now. Thank you for stopping by and for taking the time to comment. So glad to hear that this article resonates with you. Gratitude is underrated but I think it is making a come back. Keep-up with your gratitude practices. Stay tuned-in more to come!
Great post! Gratitude is indeed the key to a happy life! Blessings! ♥♥
Thank you for stopping by and for taking the time to comment. Glad to hear this article resonates with you.
Wonderful words! Each word makes sense and it beautifully written ❤️ Please check out my blog, would be really glad- https://mahimajalan.wordpress.com/2019/12/22/22-lessons-from-2019/
Thank you for stopping by and for taking the time to comment. Glad to hear you enjoyed reading the article! Stay tuned-in more to come. Will definitely check your blog.
In a world of negativity and problems surrounding around us, a small thought of gratitude could mean a lot. It could brighten up the mood for the whole day. :) Thanks for following our blog too. :) CHeers!
Thank you Kris and Aileen for stopping by and for taking the time to comment. Gratitude is underrated but I think it is making a come back.
Your’e welcome dear! Cheers! 🙂
Thanks for sharing. These days, I'm making a conscious effort to appreciate the little things in life and be grateful for all that I have. It's a small thing I can control in this crazy world!
Thank you Penne for stopping by and for taking the time to comment. Keep up with your daily gratitude practices. Never underestimate the power of small things! Stay tuned-In more to come.
I've never heard that story. So awesome! I'm trying to write 50 gratitudes a day, each day different things (get to eventually 27000 for when I'm nearly 28). My sister asked upon reading one list if I don't think it's fake. No. I truly appreciate all these things that I have never focused on before. The little things are the big things..... Love, light, and glitter
Thank you Eliza for stopping by and for taking the time to comment. I totally agree with your perspective "The Little things are the big things ' Well said! Keep up with your daily gratitude practices! Stay tuned in more to come!