We all have those days when we’re in a funk. Your mojo feels non-existent. You can barely muster the energy to fake a smile. Sometimes turning your mood around is a matter of changing your perception. If you turn your attention to the things that are going well in your life, the things that are kicking ass, the things that make your heart do a tap dance complete with jazz hands it becomes a little easier to smile. Those of you that have been around for a while know that I am a big fan of gratitude lists and the benefits of making them. So it will come as no surprise that I have put together a sort of one size fits all gratitude list…a list that pretty much anyone can read and find at least a handful of things they can take into their heart and be thankful for. I hope it helps brighten your day. If you want to add to the list, please do! The more the merrier. Just leave your list in the comments section. Let’s spread a little love, shall we?
50 Things to be Thankful for
Right Now:
1) Really good music that makes you tap your toes, shake your butt and puts a big goofy smile on your face. (Mr. Blue Skies by ELO is a good one. Love it!)
2) Glitter. There’s something about it that bring out my inner 8 year old.
3) Family. Remember family has a very loose definition. Family is anyone you trust and love…whether they’re blood or not doesn’t matter. It’s all about the love, baby.
4) Creativity. Think of all the amazing things creativity brings us. To quote Albert Einstein “Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.”
5) Kittens. There are few things more adorable than kittens playing. Seriously. It’s enough to put you in a sugar coma.
6) The warmth of the sun on a chilly day. It’s delicious…and 20 minutes of it gives you your daily dose of vitamin D. How crazy is that? Seriously. The sun gives you vitamins. That’s pretty amazing, don’t you think?
7) Hearing a really good ghost story.
8) The smell of night blooming jasmine on a warm summer night.
9) Porch swings and rocking chairs.
10) The smell of old books.
11) The buzz you get from a really fantastic, uncontrollable, side-splitting belly laugh.
12) The clumsiness of puppies. It’s so cute how they trip over their own feet and stumble about.
13) Playing in the rain.
14) A yummy chai tea on a cold winter day.
15) The feeling and smell of clean sheets.
16) Bubble baths.
17) The anticipation of a first kiss and all the butterflies it brings.
18) Listening to jazz on a rainy day.
19) Reading a really, Really, REALLY good book. (A few of my faves? Gormenghast by Mervyn Peake, 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Bleak House by Charles Dickens and His Dark Materials Trilogy by Phillip Pullman)
20) Halloween. Come on…it’s a holiday where you get to dress up all scary, eat candy and play pranks on people. It doesn’t get any better than that.
21) Freedom. No matter where you live you can always be free in your mind and your heart.
22) Christmas lights used for non-holiday decorative purposes. Let’s be honest, well placed christmas lights can turn a space into a fantasy fairy wonderland filled with twinkly whimsy.
23) The feeling of superiority you get when you finish a New York Times crossword puzzle.
24) The way deep bass sounds tickle your insides.
25) Roller coaster rides.
26) The smell of a really delicious perfume. (I’m a bit of a perfume whore. As far as habits go, there are worse ones to be had. I’ll put together a list of my favorites one of these days. Mark my words, you’ll thank me.)
27) Hugs. There should really be more of them. The world would be a better place.
28) Finding the perfect ink pen. It’s harder than you think.
29) Coloring. If you haven’t colored in a while, give it a try. It’s so relaxing.
30) Zombie movies and podcasts. (Anyone else listening to We’re Alive? If not, you best get on it. Here’s a preemptive “You’re welcome.”)
31) Fantastic shoes that don’t hurt your feet.
32) Big cozy sweaters.
33) Fresh blankets of snow.
34) Spanish moss hanging from trees on foggy days. Spooky and beautiful.
35) Historic sites. Can you imagine a world without the pyramids or the Parthenon?
36) Chocolate – one of mankind’s greatest inventions.
37) Watching a movie in an empty theater with a big bag of Twizzlers to munch on. Bonus awesome points if the armrests flip up.
38) Snuggling.
39) Hope. I know this one may seem like it’s in short supply sometimes, but it really isn’t. It’s always there…and it can help you accomplish amazing things.
40) New experiences. They keep life interesting and exciting.
41) Nature. She is glorious, isn’t she? She always finds a way to balance things out.
42) Good bras. Am I right, ladies?
43) Fireflies. They can turn a meadow into a magical meadow.
44) Humor. Laughter is the best medicine.
45) Photography. It can show you the entire universe and it can allow you to travel through time.
46) Diversity. It makes the world an interesting place.
47) Mysteries. Bigfoot, UFO’s, the Bermuda Triangle…I’m glad we don’t have all the answers.
48) Thunderstorms. Sooooo relaxing.
49) Cheesecake. Enough said.
50) Love. Love of yourself. Love of others. It has its ups and downs, sure…but would you really want to live in a world without it? It’s a beautiful, glorious, amazing thing.
Kisses & Chaos,
Alli Woods Frederick
image credit: All that glitters by Claire * Peek-a-boo…I see you by Amy * The Feline Librarian by moggierocket * First Kiss by Jennifer Leigh Strauss * a puzzling bokeh by Vertigophoto * Morning Fog by Cary Jones Crawford * Fireflies by Juan Pablo Rodriguez * image from my wedding by Trinity Ridge Photography.
