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Many times in life we forget to take a step back and practice gratitude for all we have. This is why it’s important to have things to be thankful for. Most of us are so focused on what we don’t have that we forget to be thankful for what we do have.
When we do take the moment to meditate upon what we do have in life, it’s a positive visceral experience because we realize our mind’s have been overly clouded from the pressures and responsibilities that society, life, and we put on ourselves.
“It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor. ”
Lucius Annaeus Seneca
Core or Essential Things To Be Thankful For
Some of these are the things that are absolutely necessary for a human to possess if they want to go to a different level in their lives.
1. Ourselves. It’s our ideas, thoughts, opinions, and individuality that we each have that allow us to contribute to the world and our loved ones. It’s our mind that leads us to our own happiness and pursuit
2. Friends. No, not the show! Some of the best experiences we have in life are possible because of our friends. They being us laughter, joy, and security.
3. Parents. No matter how we may feel or the relationship we have with them, they are the reason we are able to experience life. We can see, taste, smell, hear, and feel because of them. We have the power to become anyone we choose to, all because they gave us the rare opportunity to experience life.
4. Our Siblings. We love to annoy and hassle them, but we know that we can count on them. The love they have for us is unconditional. Unconditional love is scarce, so when we have it, we should truly appreciate those who are willing to give it to us.
5. Dogs. Dogs are a gift to the universe. They are naturally exuberant, positive, and loyal. To some of us, they are family members. I think the world would be a slightly darker place without them. They love us and bring a smile to our faces.
6. Pets. Whether you have a dog, cat, bird, pig, hamster, or more as your pet and companion, they’re a big part of our lives. We can talk to them, lay with them, or pet them and they make us feel better.
7. Home. This is a basic necessity in life. Without a home, we have to put our dreams and aspirations on pause. In many parts of the world we’d be dead without them.
8. Food. If I lost everything I had today, I know no matter where I go in this country, I will never be hungry.
9. Water. In today’s age, in most places we don’t have to worry about ever being thirsty, but this wasn’t always the case for our species. The sad part is in many countries today, water is a scarce resource or is undrinkable due to contaminants.
10. Taste. If everything you ate was bland and tasteless then the joy that eating brings would decrease. This is one of those little things in life that brings lots of excitement.
11. Touch. Gives us the ability to feel. Think about how it’d feel to live without ever feeling anything. You’d never know what it’s like to be hugged by someone you love. If you had a major wound, you’d go to sleep without knowing and end up potentially dead by the morning.
12. Hear. If you have the ability to hear, then you can know what music is like, how your friends and family sound, and can properly communicate with the majority of the people in the world. There would be a lot of difficult obstacles to face as someone who can’t hear.
13. Smell. Certain aromas have been able to induce some nostalgic memories within me that I had thought were long lost. These are priceless.
14. See. People know in the back of their minds that proper sight is one of the most important senses in terms of being able to live a normal life. Without the ability to see, you are instantly ostracized from your peers. You have to be highly dependent on others. You also have to learn how to overcome the mental anguish of why it is that you are blind. Life is already tough, but this is taking tough to another level.
15. Our Health. I believe one most people take granted for, simply because nobody actual thinks about it. There are people suffering with some of the worst diseases or terrible injuries. We should take a moment to realize that it’s only chance or luck that kept us from that fate and maybe it’s in our future.
16. Help. Everything I’ve done, learned, written, and conceptualized has never been fully attributed to just me. It’s because of the ideas and creations of others that were somehow passed to me, that I was able to use as a resource. Without other’s help, I’d be empty.
Unique Abilities To Be Thankful For
17. Thinking. Think about how lucky you are to experience life. Now think about how lucky you got to experience life as the only species on our planet to have the conscious ability to think.
18. Imagination. It let’s us envision anything we want.
19. Our Drive. This innate motivation that we have in us, which we can’t pinpoint as to why we posses it, allows us to pursue things in order to become adept at it. This gives life meaning. Without meaning, life can become bleak or nihilistic.
20. Adaptability. Humans have this amazing ability to acclimate to any environment or situation and I think that’s extraordinary. Each of us have this have a primal ability to be resilient and tenacious.
21. Learn Anything We Want. We can go on the web and find anything that interests us and become skilled at it, completely for free. Just the ability to learn complex ideas is extraordinary.
22. Move. A large part of life is walking or moving various parts of our body to achieve something.
23. Failure. I find myself constantly being grateful for failure. It’s during failure that I learn the most. I may have to redo something, but that’s okay, because it’s the journey that matters. It’s life’s natural teacher.
24. Language. The idea of using sounds to communicate complex ideas, opinions, beliefs and more is astounding. It is the basic building block of society.
25.Habits. These are the building blocks of our lives. In many cases they can make our lives much better and the other case, not so much. The great thing is with a little tenacity and knowledge, habits can be refined or changed.
26. Braille. Braille is a medium in which the blind or visually impaired can use to read or write. It makes me happy and thankful to know that even in such a tough situation, people can educate and better themselves.
27. Experience. In order to become good at anything, we need to practice doing it. Theory falls flat without practice. I’m thankful that I can become great at anything if I’m persistent in working towards it.
28. Dreams. They feel like being part of another dimension where there isn’t a limit to what is possible.
29. Having Intuition. Wherever our intuition comes from, it helps us make the decision according to what we think is right.
30. Gut Feelings. A feeling about something that appears without any reason or logic, but has value and many times is correct.
31. Pain. Feeling hurt mentally and dealing with the pain helps us build resiliency and wisdom by learning to overcome whatever it is that we are dealing with.
The Little Things To Be Largely Thankful For
32. Laughing. It feels really good to genuinely laugh. It is joy and happiness encapsulated in that moment.
33. Crying. This strong emotion is a great way to get cathartic relief. It almost feels freeing.
34 Sunshine. There’s something about being in direct contact with sunshine that helps uplift mood, feels wonderful, and raises energy.
35. Weekends. The vibe of a weekend is completely different than that of a normal weekday. People are out and about, environments are energetic, and it’s usually a time in which we get to spend time with our friends and family.
36. Hope. It’s the idea of hope that keeps many of us going. It’s a form of optimism and positivity.
37. Hugs. There are many benefits of hugging backed by scientific evidence. They feel great and release lots of positivity.
38. Solitude. Loneliness is an opportunity to get a moment with yourself. To gather your thoughts. To ask yourself deep and meaning questions. It’s a chance to get to know yourself and grow.
39. Kindness. The moments in which I’ve been kind to others has only brought me happiness. It feels nice to do good for others.
40. Giving. Buddhist Monk, Ajahn Brahm, gave a wonderful speech about how to let go in life. One of those ways was to give without expecting anything in return. I’m thankful that there are innate tools within us to let go of our suffering.
41.Satiation. I get this feeling after doing something like eating. It’s especially noticeable after a fast. It’s a feeling to be thankful for because it feels calming to be satiated. When we are satiated, we know we will continue to live on.
42. Hunger. Hunger helps me realize that it’s easy to take food for granted. There’s an abundance of it and sometimes its easy to forget that people have died from hunger and in some parts of the world still do. It makes me more resilient, happy, and aware of my mortality.
43. Bliss. It can be a snap moment in which bliss is experienced, but when it happens it’s a feeling unlike any other.
44. Love. That overall state we tend to get into when we love someone feels dreamy.
45. Loneliness. These are periods in which lots of self reflection and time can be done with oneself.
Technological Advancements To Be Thankful For
46. Internet. It’s because of this innovation that communication between people globally is allowed. It’s what allowed you to find this website and read this sentence.
47. Cars. They allow us to make friends from far distances, go to work to provide us with money, buy necessary resources, and so on. They even provide a simple therapeutic release from long drives.
48. Video Games. Playing video games modestly is incredibly fun and a good way to bond with others.
49. Cell Phones. In today’s society, this device might as well be an extension of ourselves. It contains our contacts, messages, favorite apps, and so forth. We can use it to save our lives by dialing 911 anytime we are in danger. Possibly one of the most useful inventions.
50. Credit/Debit Cards. Allows us to purchase anything we want, anytime we want. Imagine the hassle of online orders if these didn’t exist.
51. Google Maps. I’d be lost without it, literally. I don’t even want to think about the hardships people had to go through before the times of GPS.
52. Headphones. This piece of technology allows us to privately immerse ourselves in whatever we choose. Let it be music, podcasts, videos, tv shows, movies, or talking with others. Imagine constantly hearing loud music and such everywhere you go. It’d be hard to concentrate!
53. Cameras. We have the ability to capture moments by taking pictures or videos. We can keep these memories till the end of our days. It feels nice to be able to view these things.
54. Medicine. It’s easy to take medicine for granted. It’s because of medicine, we all have the ability to live longer than any of our predecessors. The innovations made in this field have saved countless number of people.
55. Calculators. Math is already an abstract and complex topic. Now, imagine going through Calculus without the ability to ever use a calculator. For me, that’s a good enough reason to never take calculators for granted.
56. Carbon Monoxide Detectors. These devices help detect poisonous gases and alert us immediately when these gases are around so we can leave the area. These things are life savers and a must have in every home.
57. Locks. They keep us secure and protected in our homes. Locks also prevent people from taking valuables that belong to us, like our cars or sentimental goods.
58. Heaters. They allow the cold to be bearable.
59. Lights. We’d probably all end up fixing our sleep schedules if lights didn’t exist, but its positive impact outweighs that. We need light in order to make food at night, study, do homework, and to work. It’s a revolutionary creation.
60. Planes. We can visit distant friends and family because of them. The view is also extraordinary.
61. Water Bottles. We seem to have an abundance of water, but without water bottles, we’d have no place to carry it with us. This thing allows us to quench our thirst and continue going about living.
62. Musical Instruments. They bring extensive joy to most people. It’s a form of therapy to be able to listen to a guitar. People make meaning of their lives by working on being musicians. This is one of those things that has saved an innumerable number of lives.
63.Waterproof tech. Being able to know if my phone gets wet, I won’t lose valuable items on there brings a sense of security. It’s also nice to be able to play a podcast while showering without worrying about whether the phone or speaker will be damaged.
64. Networks. Specifically the networks that allow all people to be connected to the web. This allows everyone to stay informed, communicate with others, and learn.
Material Goods To Be Thankful For
65. Clothes. Without them, we’d either be too hot or too cold. They grant us physical privacy. In some places in the world, we need them to survive. Walking around naked in Alaska wouldn’t be a lot of fun.
66. Head Wear. Beanies, hats, hoods, and other head wear keep us protected for the harshness of the environment and keep us from getting sick. In other cases, they are simply stylish.
67. Shoes. Help keep our feet protected.
68. Gifts. Gifts of any kind, no matter how big or small make us feel appreciated and grateful because they show people care.
69. Laptops. They are portable and allow us to get work done on the go.
70. Cards. Birthday, holiday or a special occasion card let’s people know that you are thankful for their existence and the things they do. It’s a highly generous act that takes very little effort.
71. Lip Balm. These come in handy during times where it’s really cold or dry.
72. Cologne or Perfume. It helps people have a pleasant scent on their clothes and body.
People To Be Thankful For
73. Siddhartha Gautama. Also known as Buddha. He sacrificed a king’s life to be able to experience, understand, and overcome the deep hardships that life brings. His teachings have allowed countless number of people to lead happy lives with truth and insight about each waking moment.
74. Marcus Aurelius. He’s a quintessential Stoic that I look up to. He had mastered how to apply virtue to each and every moment. There’s a lot to learn from him.
75. Epictetus. A Greek Stoic teacher whose teachings and words of wisdom are applicable today. He’s another role model and brings inspiration to my life.
76. Zeno of Citium. Grateful to him for founding the school of Stoicism.
77. Nelson Mandela. His book made me understand what it actually means to sacrifice for what you believe in. His ability to stay optimistic in a bleak situation is beautiful and it’s something I’ll hold on to.
78. Chester Bennington. The lead singer of Linkin Park made music that truly touches and resonates with what it’s like to be a human.
79. Mitch Hedberg. He’s a comedian whose jokes and style were very unique. I’m grateful for his existence because he thinks of things nobody else thinks about are funny and makes these things funny.
80. Ricky Gervais. Another comedian whose jokes have put me and my friends in actual tears. To the point where my stomach would cramp up because I couldn’t stop laughing. Truly amazing.
81. George Carlin. His style was ruthless and the messages in his jokes were deep contentious topics to contemplate.
82. Gordon Ramsey. He’s one of the greatest chefs in the world. What I like about him the most is his drive, passion, and his ardent love for whatever he sets his mind to. It’s highly inspiring.
83. Edward Snowden. For sacrificing freedom within the country he loves and was raised in to reveal the truth of how we are being monitored.
84. Steve Jobs. Grateful for his tenacity and giving it his all in everything he pursued. This resulted in amazing ideas, products, and companies.
85. John C. Bogle. The founder of Vanguard. Someone who genuinely wanted to teach others how to be wise with finances and for creating the index fund.
90. Bill Gates. Microsoft software and devices are simply amazing.
91. Ancestors. Without them, we wouldn’t be alive.
Foods To Be Thankful For
92. Coconuts. Coconuts are super fruits. They have coconut water, the fruit itself is delectable, and the oils can be used for the skin, hair, and cooking.
93. Mangos. It’s highly nutritious, has lots of fiber, and has antioxidant properties. Best of all, it’s delicious.
94. Apples. They make a quick healthy snack.
95. Oranges. Contain lots of vitamin c which is a great antioxidant while being very delicious.
96. Kale. I can get all the vitamins and minerals I need by eating Kale. It is a powerhouse vegetable. The smoothies taste really amazing as well.
97. Collard Greens. This vegetable contains vital vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and tastes delicious when cooked.
98. Spinach. This vegetable is another super food. Highly nutritious, delectable, and can be part of almost any meal. Additionally, I found eating spinach boosts my energy.
99. Butter/Ghee. These are great saturated fatty oils to use when cooking. Ghee especially adds a nutty flavor.
100. Garlic. Garlic is a staple in my cooking recipes. It adds a wonderful and slightly nutty flavor. It’s also nutritious.
101. Potatoes. This is something that doesn’t need condiments to be delicious. It’s also a quick go to for dinner since all you need to do is roast it in the oven or pan cook it.
102. Ginger. It can be used in various ways. I’ve put it in teas, used it in recipes, and ate is raw as a home remedy to cure feeling under the weather.
103. Salt. We need salt in order to be able to function properly. Without it we’d die. Besides that, it is used in almost every meal. It adds tart and sourish taste to foods that can help bring out the other flavors in the meal. Additionally, I’ve used it in water gargles when sick.
104. Avocados. I enjoy supplementing whatever I’m eating with half an avocado. It melts in your mouth. It’s also super healthy!
105. Beans. They are great sources of protein, fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. On top of that they don’t break the bank.
106. Rice. Rice is a staple for almost all groups of people. It’s cheap, healthy if unrefined, and it can be used in countless number of ways.
Productive Things To Be Thankful For
107. Beds. It’s the place our mind does most of its resting. Some of us are lucky enough to choose posture pedic type of beds, or ones that can change temperature. Imagine having to sleep on the bare ground and it’ll make you thankful for your bed.
108. Books. Knowledge is necessary in order to learn. Reading lets us learn in days, what it took the authors to learn over a life time. It allows us to know the history of people or nations so we can strive towards a better future. Without books, we’d be living in a Mad Max type of world.
109. Desks. At one point in my life I used to do my homework, reading, and studying on my bed. Looking back to that, I can never go back to that. Having a desk allows for one area to be solely used for working.
110. Chairs. Think about how it’d feel to do every activity standing. This includes eating, writing, somehow typing on your keyboard, or relaxing. It’d be pretty tough.
111. Clocks. Our world has become so accustomed to doing things based on time that if all clocks stopped, it’d cause mass panic. Also every computer would malfunction and we’d witness the world collapse in front of our eyes. For me, a good enough reason is I helps snap me out of the work I’m doing and brings me back into reality.
112. Writing Utensils. All the most important thoughts and ideas that we have ever come across and read have been possible because someone was able to transfer that thought from their minds to paper by using pens, pencils, and the alike.
113. Erasers. Besides doing the obvious, they’ve helped me retry something I failed at. For ex. messing up a part of a drawing and erasing it to try again to do it better.
114. Paperclips. They allow for organization and make things easy to give to others.
115. Stapler. Lots of important documents would’ve been lost if they weren’t bound together using staples. It helps teachers to easily gather papers from a class without them getting lost or disorganized.
116. Paper. It’d be really tough to remember everything without the ability to write things down. Life changing aphorisms and lessons were written on paper and passed down to us. Without paper all that is lost.
117. Sticky Notes. Keeping these around have helped me to remember things I would’ve otherwise forgotten.
118. Search Engines. Search engines like Google or DuckDuckGo give us the ability to find out the answer to any questions we have in less than a second. Imagine trying to find out the answer to “how many mitochondria are in a eukaryotic cell,” before search engines. It would be more challenging and that’s an understatement!
119. Pomodoro. This incredibly productive device has helped me stay focused on one individual task for a certain period of time.
120. Education. I know if it weren’t for education, I’d struggle in actualizing my dreams. it’s because of education I can work towards having a successful life and career. This is something to never take for granted because people in many parts of the world don’t get free access to education or any at all.
121. Public Transit. Trains, buses, and other public transportation get us to the place we need to go for low prices and they have a positive impact on the environment due to a large number of people using one vehicle to commute. In some cases, getting to work and making a living would be impossible without public transportation.
122. Libraries. A place where it’s motivating to do work. It’s quiet, therefore it’s easy to concentrate on a task and there are many people there who are willing to help getting and finding resources for you.
123. Science. Science is a vast subject that encompasses biology, chemistry, neurology, and so much more. I’m grateful that every area is constantly being worked on since it can be used to better the world and our lives.
124. Wrist Watch. A wrist watch is a must because it makes us less dependent on having to use our devices to check the time. These devices can be highly distracting. Additionally, time can be checked very quickly.
Websites and Applications To Be Thankful For
125. Clock App. This simple app which comes preloaded on all phones is one I find myself using very often. I use the timer and stopwatch for work and exercise sessions and alarms for reminders and wake up times. Productivity would be impacted without it.
126. E-Readers. I use a physical Kindle e-reader, as well as the Play Book and Kindle apps on my smart phone. These are a must have. I love that I can have all my books in one place which conserves lots of space. It’s also great for the environment as less trees will be destroyed.
127. eBay. A great e-commerce site that makes de-cluttering a simple and painless process. I admire and find minimalism a great way to live life.
128. Banking App. Makes it very convenient to deposit, withdraw, send, or check my balance. Otherwise I’d have to make a trip to a physical bank to do just one of these things every time.
129. Facebook Marketplace. The Marketplace within Facebook is a productive way to de-clutter and get rid of the excess you have in your homes that you never need and don’t use. Having a neat and organized environment translates to a calm mind.
130. Signal. Signal is an incredibly secure end to end encrypted messaging application. It’s similar to WhatsApp, except keeps your data completely private. The best part is it’s free and as long as your friend or family member has the app, you can use it with them.
131. Shazam. This app gets used when you least expect it. It helps you find the name of a song that is playing out loud, this way you don’t have to wait years to hear the song again and find out what it’s called.
132. SoundCloud. An amazing application used to listen to music and podcasts. Since it’s uploading rules aren’t as stringent as other apps, lots of great unknown gems can be stumbled upon.
133. Spotify. Spotify is a good application for listening to podcasts. The UI is clean and simple and the premium version is affordable. It’s great to use on long commutes.
134. Calendar App. The preloaded calendar app on the phone can be used to quickly check, add, and update events and reminders. Additionally, it can be used to create a new routine, therefore it can be highly productive.
135. Zeopoxa I currently use an open source application to track my runs called Zeopoxa. The application provides metrics on each run and it’s a great way to view progress.
136. Google Drive. Drive’s feature, accessibility, and simplistic way to collaborate with others make it hard to beat.
137. Google Keep. Easy and simple for note keeping and lists.
138. Gmail. Gmail’s clean UI, space, and features make it the best mail application to this day.
139. Mozilla Firefox. It’s amazing that Firefox continues to stand for privacy. It’s fast, has an amazing store for add-ons and themes, and is loaded with lots of features.
140. Reddit. A social media forum site I use occasionally to learn things, get resources, or insightful answers to questions I have.
141. Anki. This application is essentially an application version of index cards except it’s very smart as it’ll stop asking you to recall the cards you find easy and continue you to ask you to recall the cards which are hard. Over time this will make those hard cards easy to remember.
Outdoor and Nature Thankfulness
142. The Park. A place to view nature, get fresh air, exercise, and meditate upon your thoughts. It’s also one of the places kids can be seen at their happiest.
143. Beaches. The view, the water, being able to surf, and the boardwalk. It’s a place meant for leisure and it’s free. There’s not many things in life that offer even a fourth of that for free.
144. Hiking. It’s a great source of exercise, but it’s even a better way to unplug and be part of nature. Away from technology and other distractions. Undoubtedly, it helps clear the mind.
145. Camping. The act of camping is very enjoyable. We get to experience nature and take respite from the “plugged in” lives we have. There’s nothing more therapeutic.
146. Cool Summer Nights. They are peaceful and help us appreciate mother nature. I’m also grateful for how this environment can change how certain memories are formed with people due to its vibe.
147. Stars. Besides being thankful for how radiant they look in the night sky, they make us contemplate things much bigger than us.
148. Trees. Trees are ubiquitous and amazing to view. Also without them, we wouldn’t live. They provide us with oxygen, wood for our homes, natural properties to absorb air pollution, preserve water and so much more!
149. Morning. The sun, the birds, and the atmosphere all come together to create a special time during the day that other times can’t replicate.
150. Cool Breeze. Being mindful of a cool gentle breeze reminds one of what it’s like being a little kid again. It also feels great and freeing.
151. Outer Space. The idea of knowing that I’m a speck, even if that, makes me feel really good. It puts everything into perspective. It reminds me not to take life to seriously and that I will one day be dead and be part of star dust.
152. Lakes. Lakes and their surroundings are environments that house plethora of animals. I’m also thankful for the joy that swimming and rope swinging from trees into a lake can bring.
153. Clouds. They are simply nice to look at.
154. Fresh Air. Feels wonderful to breathe in air that is fresh, especially early in the morning. It wakes me up.
Health and Lifestyle Thankfulness
155. Showers. They feel refreshing and allow us to take care of our personal hygiene.
156. Toothbrush. They keep our teeth looking clean, removes plaque, and prevents gum disease.
157. Deodorant. It keeps us feeling and smelling fresh. Also makes our significant other want to snuggle with us.
158. Sports. It’s fun, it allows us to get exercise, meet new people, and become more agile.
159. Gyms. A great place to become better, healthier, and meet people who genuinely want you to succeed.
160. Tracks. They are free to go to and can be great to run on. Additionally, they’re a wonderful place to meet like minded people.
161. Dumbbells. They help our muscles get bigger.
162. Jump Rope. Fun cardiovascular exercise and can be done in a short period of time.
163. Bikes. A great way to get exercise and save money commuting to places.
164. Underwear. This is a funny one, I’ll admit, but keep in mind that for most of our species history, underwear wasn’t a normal thing. Now that I do get to enjoy this creation, It’d be really hard to not wear one.
165. Hair Combs. Allows us to look presentable. Many of us wouldn’t have our partners or our jobs without them.
166. Dancing. It’s lots of fun, a form of exercise, and is a skill that can be built upon.
167. Working From Home. Many people around the world work hard, laborious, and monotonous jobs in which there is little respite. I’m thankful to live in a place where there are lots of opportunities to find a job working from home.
168. Vaseline. A product that can be used for a plethora of reasons. It’s especially great for putting on wounds because it cause the wound to heal gracefully.
Indispensable Things To Be Thankful For
169. Banks. It’s a place where we can keep our money and feel safe knowing if our house burned down, all of our money isn’t going down with it. We can also use banks to grow our wealth!
170. The News. We have the ability to read and watch the news from as many unique sources as we want in order to get a clear picture of what is happening around the world. This is another new human luxury. Not too long ago people were confined to one news source or had the option to view it only in certain formats like radio. We can read it, watch it, and engage with others online to understand what’s happening.
171. Music. It has the capabilities of helping us connect with others, make us feel good, and bring back nostalgic memories.
172. Movies. Some of them help educate us (documentaries) and others just bring us joy and entertainment.
173. Tools. It’s only when you don’t have a Phillips screwdriver to fix something that you realize just how much you need it. Tools are the apparatus that help us build everything from homes and buildings to computers.
174. Our Hands. We use them to practically do everything from brushing to eating. Without them we’d be fully dependent upon others or die.
175. Grocery Stores. One place that holds all our food and personal need items. That’s very convenient. Think about having to go to one place for fruits, another for vegetables, and then another for toothpaste.
176. Refrigerator. In today’s society, the immense amount of food that is made everyday would be wasted if not for refrigerators. It allows us to have left overs and keep food in our homes without spoiling.
Innovations To Be Thankful For
177. Industrial Revolution. The reason we are able to mass produce items is because of innovations in manufacturing processes. I’m grateful for this because it means technology will do the tenuous work that humans would’ve otherwise would’ve done. It also means lower prices for items.
178. Printing Press. This technology and idea made it so that the rich and wealthy weren’t the only one’s capable of learning how to read and educate themselves. It’s because of this that literacy expanded greatly.
179. Motors. Motors are used in all kinds of things. From electric pencil sharpeners to cars. They make it so an apparatus can move using energy from some source. This means humans have to put in less manual labor.
180. Alexa. Or any virtual assistant. It’s very convenient to have a device that can do a lot of things by just talking to it. I can turn on or off the lights, make a list, set a timer, set an alarm, play a podcast, and so much more.
181. Gas Stove. Using a knob to choose what level heat I want for the stove is incredibly convenient. If not for a gas stove, I’d have to light a fire and gather wood every time I needed to cook or heat something.
182. Surgery. Innovations in various surgeries are great because they reduce or completely remove suffering.
183. Glasses. There are lots of people who would spend their whole life practically blind, if not for glasses.
184. Helmets. They save lives.
185. Glass Containers. I’m grateful for glass containers because it makes it convenient to bring pre cooked meals anywhere and helps increase savings because we won’t be tempted to eat out.
Art To Be Grateful For
186. Harry Potter. All the Harry Potter Films stirred my imagination and created memories with people I’ll never forget.
187. Hereditary. This film was one of the most unique horror movies I’ve ever seen. I’m grateful for the entertainment it brought, the unique manner in which it was made, and the unforgettable impression it left on me.
188. Midsommar. Made by the same director as Hereditary and it was again, unique and gave me something interesting to talk about with friends and family.
189. Children of Men. This movie did a wonderful job in depicting the suffering that people can endure in a dystopia. Makes you feel as if you are one of them.
190. Whiplash. This movie had me fully tuned in and gave me insight on the things some people will do in order to be great at something.
191. Black Swan. It was amazing to see how far a person is willing to go in order to perfect their role in a task.
192. Linkin Park. I’m grateful for Linkin Park for it’s ability to make me feel one with the music.
193. Blink-182. Thankful for how uplifting or exuberant some of their music can be.
194. Wild Nothing. The music produced by these guys is very nostalgic.
195. Washed Out. It evokes feelings of nostalgia and lots of joy when listening to music by them.
196. Oasis. It’s hard to describe what one feels listening to Oasis, but it’s nostalgic and the lyrics are meaningful.
197. Mango. The trance music he produces puts me in a fantasy world. His music has the ability to evoke genuine emotion.
198. The Starry Night. This is one of the first paintings I saw that I could shut my eyes and imagine myself being part of the starry world.
199. Anguish by August Friedrich Schenck. This painting reminds me of our mortality and the circle of life. Once we are gone, we become part of the world and the cycle repeats.
Additional Thankfulness
200. The Fact That Our Past Doesn’t Define Us. We are capable of making positive changes no matter what our past looked like. It doesn’t define us. What defines us is what we choose to do in the present moment.
201. Mortality. The knowledge of our death awakens us to pursue a meaningful life.
202. Cargo Ships. Go to almost any item you see. You’ll see it says “Made in China” or “Made in Vietnam” or “Made in India”. These items wouldn’t be in your possession if not for cargo ships. If you somehow did obtain a domestic version, it’d be more expensive.
203. Amazon. The ability to buy anything you want and have it within your house within 3 days with some top notch customer service is something amazing in itself. The level of competition that Amazon created makes it possible to buy so many things for a low and affordable price.
204. Bad Times. These moments help us appreciate and be thankful for when we are happy. They help us not take happiness, joy, and hope for granted.
205. Those Who Fight. I’m grateful for those people who defend basic rights, other people, and injustices.
206. Charities. They’re great since their sole purpose is help those in need.
207. Food Banks. They reduce waste and give to those in need.
208. Being Born. No matter how brief our life is, it is a rare opportunity to be born as a conscious being and to experience all that we do.
209. Fire. I’m thankful that it provides heat, security, and a way to make lots of food edible.
210. Commercial Vehicles. They assist greatly in building the complex and efficient infrastructure we use today.
Make Your Own List of Things To Be Thankful For
The list above is quite extensive and your goal shouldn’t be to create one very large list of things to be thankful for.
First, understand that being thankful or grateful isn’t meant to be done on occasion such as Thanksgiving, New Years, birthdays, and so on. It’s something you think about everyday.
Start by thinking about one thing your are thankful for. If you commute to work everyday, take the first 5 minutes to think about this and let it turn into a daily habit. If not, then do it when you lay down in bed to sleep. If you can’t do it everyday, then you can even do it once a week.
It will give you perspective on the things that truly matter in your life.
Here’s how life changing being thankful and grateful can be. Think about someone who works a lot. This amount of work keeps them from spending quality time with their children and family.
One day she reads about the benefits of writing a list of things to be thankful for. She writes her own thankfulness list. One of them is her family. This will make her think about how she only have a finite amount of time with them. She will think about their death. If they died at that very moment, she will never get to say and do the things she wanted to with them.
This way of thinking will help this person re prioritize the things that truly matter to her. It will help create a better family life. It will create a better career since she will seek out jobs which align to being around her family. It will create a better personal life because of the positive changes that have come as a result of thinking about things to be thankful for.
Scientific Based Research on Benefits of Being Thankful
If you need more motivation on thinking about things to be thankful for, here are some benefits backed by scientific studies on how positive it can be for you.
According to Harvard Health Publishing (2021), being grateful is strongly correlated with elevated levels of happiness. It leads to increased well-being, strengthens relationships, and can positively shift one’s way of thinking.
The act of thankfulness is associated with counteracting depression. At Berkeley, researchers recruited students who suffered from depression and anxiety. These students were put in three separate groups with one group that focused on writing letters of gratitude for three weeks. What they found was compared to the other groups, the gratitude writing group reported substantial positive mental health four weeks and twelve weeks after this activity ended.
I have an article on how to fix your sleep schedule. One extra method that can be appended to it is being thankful. Gratitude is correlated to improved sleep according to research conducted at University of Southern California.
References
- Harvard Health Publishing. (2021, August 14). Giving Thanks Can Make You Happier. https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/giving-thanks-can-make-you-happier
- Brown, J., & Wong, J. (2017, June 6). How Gratitude Changes You and Your Brain. Greater Good Magazine. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_gratitude_changes_you_and_your_brain
- Wood, A. M., Joseph, S., Lloyd, J., & Atkins S. (2009). Gratitude influences sleep through the mechanism of pre-sleep cognitions. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, (66)1, 43-48. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2008.09.002.