10 Things To Be Grateful For And Why You Should Be

Do You Want To Feel Happier?

Studies have proven that being grateful makes people happier. Many people have discovered this for themselves, and been quietly counting their blessings for years. Now scientists have proven that the power of being grateful will positively impact our lives, so hopefully more people will start being grateful.

Scientific Proof: Being Grateful Makes You Happier

According to a study by psychologist, Sonja Lyubomirsky, author of The How of Happiness, people who keep a happiness journal for a week feel happier than people who don’t, even three months after they stopped writing it.

It’s So Easy, You’d Be Nuts Not To Try It

Just recognizing and noting down, or thinking about, things that you’re grateful for will make you happier. In fact, even reading about things other people are grateful for will make us feel happier.

Be Grateful, Feel Happier

So by writing this list of things I’m grateful for I’ll feel happier, and by reading it you will too. That’s a win-win situation and something else I’m grateful for.

For this short list, I’ve chosen things that most of us can be grateful for, but I’d love it if we could add to the list. Here goes.

10 Things I’m Grateful For

  1. Being alive.
  2. Having a roof over my head.
  3. Living in a safe, beautiful place.
  4. The love of my friends and family.
  5. Being able to hear birds sing and waves crash.
  6. Being in touch with people all over the world.
  7. Having access to books and the Internet and being able to learn more every day because of that.
  8. Being able to see my kids growing up.
  9. The endless opportunities available for us today.
  10. Human resilience.

Practice Being Grateful Today

Try these ideas as an experiment, you have nothing to lose.

1. Buy a little notebook or grab a scrap of paper then jot down one or two things that you’re grateful for each day. Read it back once a week at least. The list of things you have to be grateful for will grow but amazingly, there are always more thing to be added.

2. Or send yourself an email before you log off your computer, then you can read what you’re grateful for next time you collect your email. If you do this you can keep adding to the email and sending it on each day until you’ve got enough to fill a piece of A4. Now print it out and pop it in your handbag or manbag (I love that word). Next time you need a pick up it will be there.

3. Gratitude lists are a lovely way to share stuff about yourself and find out more about other people. Try asking someone what they’re grateful for in their lives and see what they say.

So tell me, what are you most grateful for right now?

Thanks for reading, please add your comments below and don’t forget to get updates by email now or get the RSS Feed, if you haven’t already, so you don’t miss out. As always, good luck with all your plans!

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26 Comments

  1. Tracy August 12, 2009 at 3:00 pm - Reply

    What a lovely article.. just retweeted it, thank you! I am grateful to have woken up this morning and had the opportunity to experience a new day…

    • Annabel Candy August 12, 2009 at 3:07 pm - Reply

      Thanks Tracey. I love that universal addition to the list. I’m grateful to be spending time with positive people who, like me, are working to better themselves.

  2. janet August 13, 2009 at 5:18 pm - Reply

    Good Health
    Actually I think that should be number one on the list as it’s hard to feel happy about anything much when you or your nearest & dearest are sick!!

  3. Desertgirl August 13, 2009 at 6:42 pm - Reply

    Once you start listing them, they seem to never end! But here are my first 10 things I am grateful for:

    1. Life – I feel tremendously lucky and honoured to have lived & enjoyed so much, even the challenges
    2. Having the strength to cope with a chronic illness no matter the struggle
    3. Finding much in the world that makes me laugh or fills me with joy
    4. Being blessed to have birthed and raised 2 children, now fine young adults making their own marks in the world
    5. To have met my partner when I did, and having the courage to jump in to a relationship with him … it’s been just over 9 years or so now and still wonderful
    6. Having the ability to make my partner laugh uproariously & fill him with joy
    7. Ability to enjoy my own company, often
    8. Music
    9. Books & reading
    10. Freedom to travel and enjoy quiet moments, gazing at the horizon in so many beautiful landscapes – this never fails to give me joy

  4. Thomas August 15, 2009 at 3:48 pm - Reply

    Good post. Every morning in the shower, I make five statements that typically get my day off to a good start:

    I am joyful
    I am loving
    I am accepting
    I am blessing
    I am grateful

    • Annabel Candy August 16, 2009 at 3:32 pm - Reply

      That’s so beautiful. What a good idea to think of positive stuff in the shower. Must try that myself. I think I’m typically wondering if I have enough food to fill the kids’ lunchboxes and whether i need to send violins, guitars or sports clothes to school. I’m really trying to train myself to stop spending so much time thinking about mundane stuff and I’m getting better at it. Practice definitely helps. Many thanks for you idea.

  5. Annabel Candy August 16, 2009 at 4:27 pm - Reply

    @Janet, @Desertgirl, @Thomas Thanks for sharing your lists. I can now confirm that reading other people’s gratitude lists really does make you feel happier. Thanks again. Imagine, some people can’t even read. I’m so grateful I can and grateful for my parents for instilling a love of reading in me and the great teachers who encouraged me to keep learning and reading.

  6. Teresa August 18, 2009 at 2:44 am - Reply

    Thanks hon… a great reminder! Oprah Winfrey does this too… :) so it must be right haha now to think of my 10! Mmmm…..

  7. Denis September 12, 2009 at 5:24 pm - Reply

    Even though this can be difficult for those feeling stuck to begin with, it is wonderful for nurturing realisations as the days go on and fills one with gratitude.
    How cool is that :-?

  8. Jenny November 12, 2009 at 8:21 am - Reply

    I just found your website through the problogger site and LOVE it. This is such a wonderful post and I am excited to start my list of things that I am greatful for. I love the idea of e-mailing it to myself at the end of the day – then in the mix of all the “junk e-mail” I get I will have at least 1 special message just for me.

  9. dan jolt November 15, 2009 at 10:07 pm - Reply

    One of the things I’m constantly reminding myself to be grateful about is the existence of supermarkets. In my opinion it’s a world wonder taken for granted. Whenever I feel like eating I can ride my bicycle over to the market and just buy the food I want here at a reasonable price.

    BTW, I’m a first time visitor and will bookmark you the old fashioned way (instead of RSS or this email stuff) – hope that doesn’t disappoint you.

  10. Rebecca November 22, 2009 at 1:09 am - Reply

    Oprah had a woman on her show, I think it was about a year ago, to speak about keeping a grateful journal. I’ve kept a grateful journal since 2008. Each day I update it with at least 2 things I am grateful for. I often come up with more than 2 things. Throughout the day, I’ll stop myself and silently ask myself what am I grateful for today…it helps…

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  17. Candace Davies September 16, 2010 at 9:44 am - Reply

    I am grateful for so many things…

    My children
    Laughter
    Health
    Nature’s Beauty
    Access to a vast amount of knowledge
    My clients and their appreciation for me
    Opportunities available
    Family time
    Rain
    Snow
    Leaves changing color and falling
    Quiet Time

    Yeah, there is just so much to be grateful for.

    Thanks for your blog.

    Candace

  18. Jennifer November 11, 2011 at 3:32 pm - Reply

    The sound of a child’s laughter,
    A hug from a loved one,
    Coming home at the end of the day,
    The sounds of crickets in summer,
    The magnificence of the ocean,
    The miracle of life,
    The ability to love and be loved,
    Holding a child’s hand.
    Puppy breath.
    Snow days.
    A good book.
    – I am grateful, and I am happy!

  19. Esther somi February 28, 2012 at 1:46 am - Reply

    Am gretfull for alot of thngs…first i planned today not making any col to my man and i made it coz i didnt…my family makes me fill special each day..my dad loves me n t makes me fil great,peoples daily complements about me makes me fill amazing…also am moving on well away 4m my crazy pasts

  20. Pam March 26, 2012 at 10:17 am - Reply

    1) Waking up each day, most of the time early so I can enjoy the sunrise
    1a) Being able to see the sunrise because I have good vision
    2) Waking up in a functional body, without pain
    3) Being in a healthy relationship with a wonderful and supportive partner
    4) Having a job to go to five days out of the week (loving the job is just a bonus)
    5) Having a dog to walk every morning so that I am assured to get at least some exercise during the day
    6) Living in a place where I have access to good food and clean water
    7) Continuing my education well into my adulthood to keep my brain active
    8) Having friends and family who support my educational goals
    9) Living in a clean and cozy home, even if having the dog and the man in it means constant vacuuming. :)
    10) Your post. A good reminder of the important things. Thank you.

  21. nikita August 20, 2012 at 6:32 am - Reply

    Hey…thank u so much for your wonderful article and a brilliant idea of feeling grateful about our lives. Today I was jua surfing the net and found your wonderful web. I will definetely follow it up from now onwards.

  22. Gregory Douglass November 22, 2012 at 6:48 am - Reply

    Hi, Annabel – thanks so much for this insightful article! I’m going to spotlight this on our Mind Spark Recommends blog this week, just so you know… Hopefully it will be some added exposure for you and get more folks inspired to make lasting changes. I’ll be sure to tag you on Twitter!

    Thanks for all of the great work you’re contributing!

    Have an inspiring day.

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