Below are plenty of ideas for being thankful and cultivating a life of gratitude!
Gratitude is a powerful emotion with the possibility for a profound impact on our thoughts, feelings, health, and well-being. In fact, research shows that being thankful makes us happier, healthier, and more successful.
Practicing gratitude is a skill you can learn and develop. And it starts with developing a new habit.
To help you develop this new habit, write a note to yourself saying, “I decide to be thankful today,” or “What am I thankful for today?” And put the note in a place, such as a bathroom mirror or refrigerator so that it will remind you to think thankful thoughts.
It is possible to live a happy, healthy, rewarding life by being thankful!
Gratitude flows from your heart, yet it also needs to be expressed.
There are many ways to cultivate gratitude, and here are a few ideas to help you get started.
- You could do a variety of thankful things like sending a text to family or friends
- You could write thank you notes to those you appreciate
- Send someone a gift or flowers
- Do something nice for someone
- Practice saying “please” and “thank you”
- Smile at people at work, at stores, and while you are driving
- Send kind “thinking of you” texts, emails, and notes
- Many people take the month of November and challenge themselves to practice cultivating gratitude each day in some way.
A Gratitude Journal
One of the best ways to cultivate a life full of gratitude is to keep a gratitude journal. Each day, you can write down three things that you are grateful for, no matter how big or small they may seem.
This could be something as simple as your morning cup of coffee, an unexpected compliment from a friend, or the warm sunshine filtering through the trees outside.
No matter what you choose to focus on, being mindful and appreciative of all the wonderful aspects of your life is sure to help you stay positive and thankful in even the most difficult moments.
And who knows, it might just inspire others around you to start keeping a gratitude journal too!
Gratitude on Phone Apps and Social Media
You could list the things you are thankful for in your phone’s notes app each day.
Or, you could post something you are thankful for on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, etc.
However, a little bit of caution here: this is a practice for your personal development and not to brag. So, be aware of your own attitude when posting a lot of pictures on social media.
However, it is perfectly acceptable to brag to God about your wonderful life!
He absolutely loves for you to brag about your life to Him because you are saying “thank you” for the wonderful gifts He has given you!
Ideas for Being Thankful in 5 Areas
Cultivating a happier life begins with being grateful!
If your mind draws a blank, and you wonder what you could possibly be thankful for, consider the following list of ideas. You can cultivate a life of gratitude!
We can think about things to be thankful for in these five different areas.
1. The Divine
- your Creator—the Originator of all good things
- spiritual relationships with God and others
- your blessings—contrast life now to a worse time
2. The Wonder of You
- your life
- your physical body
- mental abilities
- physical abilities
- emotional abilities
- special talents and skills
- your senses
- experience right now through your five senses
- look around you to find things you appreciate
3. Relationships
- people who touch our lives in ways large and small
- family
- friends
- enemies
- groups which you are part of
4. Things
- things we enjoy
- nature
- food
- shelter
- pets
- things/inventions we love that make our lives better
5. Experiences
- personal experiences
- education
- opportunities
- sports activities
- hobbies
- precious moments in time
- significant memories
- beauty around you
More Specific Ideas For Being Thankful
- Our friends, family, and loved ones who support us and care about us every day.
- The roof over our heads and a warm bed to sleep in at night.
- Our health, both mental and physical, that allows us to get out there and live life to its fullest.
- The delicious food we have access to every day, made possible by farmers and providers who work tirelessly to bring us nourishment.
- The amazing natural gifts all around us – from the sun, moon, and stars in the sky to the beauty of forests, oceans, mountains, and more.
- An abundance of opportunities for learning new skills or expanding our horizons through travel or adventure.
- Creative outlets like art, music, writing, dance, or anything else that lets us express ourselves in unique ways.
- The ability to pursue your passions and make your dreams come true.
- Opportunities to learn new things every day and grow as a person both mentally and spiritually.
- Creative outlets like music, art, writing, or dancing that allow you to express yourself freely and explore your creativity in unique ways.
- A supportive community that encourages you to pursue your passions and offers a place of belonging.
- The opportunity to help others, make a difference in the world, and show kindness to those in need.
- A sense of fulfillment after doing good work that benefits others.
- Spiritual guidance and a connection with God that gives you comfort and peace of mind.
- The precious gift of life, which is a gift each and every one of us enjoys.
More Ideas for Being Thankful
- Skills and knowledge that help you do the things you love
- The chance to meet new people and make real, lasting connections that enrich your life.
- Beautiful natural gifts like mountains, oceans, sunsets, forests, and more that surround us in life.
- Opportunities to work hard to get what you want and achieve your goals.
- Affection and love from someone who cares about you.
- The time and space to think about things and make decisions for yourself.
- Challenges that push you to grow and experience life outside your comfort zone.
- A sense of self-worth and confidence that comes from knowing you’re capable of anything you set your mind to.
- The opportunity to live in the moment and enjoy life in the present.
- The ability to pursue your passions and make your dreams come true.
- A feeling of peace and contentment that comes with being grateful for what you have.
- The opportunity to explore new ideas, meet new people, and try new things in life.
- The chance to live by your own values and beliefs.
- The ability to explore your spirituality and connect with God.
- The ability to express yourself freely and stand up for what you believe in.
- Learning tools like books, computers, or the internet that give you access to endless knowledge.
- Opportunities to serve others and help people in need.
In conclusion, I hope this list of ideas for being thankful has sparked an abundance of thankful thoughts!
There are so many more things to be thankful for, more than this list could ever capture. The possibilities are endless!
Free immediate download of this paper-sized chart (no email needed).
Action Steps: Remember to Be Thankful
- Keep gratitude in the forefront of your mind. Start a gratitude journal.
- Purposefully decide to be thankful, and ask God to fill your heart with His love.
- Do thankful things. Physically express love and gratitude to others today.
- You can print out the above graphic list of ideas to remind you to take the gratitude journey. (No email necessary.)
Thank you for reading, and God bless your journey of gratitude!
~ ~ ~
Cultivate Gratitude Plus a Whole Lot More
Are you looking to improve your peace, love, and joy?
This powerful devotional journal book helps you cultivate thankfulness plus a whole lot more!
It gives you concrete and practical steps for how to grow into a deeper relationship with God.
You will learn how to hear God’s voice clearly and how to awaken to more of His presence in your everyday life.
- 20 pages of insightful instructional teaching
- 90 days of different short & simple spiritual exercises with a Bible verse & journal prompt
- 216 pages with space to practice hearing through journaling each day
- A wide variety of short & simple creative exercises for every type of personality and temperament.
Notes:
- Philippians 4:6; 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18. ↑
- Photo by Daria Shevtsova on Unsplash
