A gratitude list probably feels like the last thing you want to do in 2023. While the feeling is understandable, even with the current challenges in the world, there are still things to be thankful for during this time. I know all of these things may not apply to you. Still, I hope this list will inspire you to remember the things to be thankful for in 2023. Here are 101 things to be grateful for in 2023!!
1. Sight. I know there are a lot of people in this world who are blind. Even if you are, there are still other things to be grateful for. Those of you who aren’t blind, even if you have to wear glasses or contacts, you can be grateful that you can see. Even if everything you see in the world isn’t as pleasant sometimes, still be grateful for the pleasant things you can see, like the nice green colors of nature outside.
2. Hearing. Similarly, to sight, many people in this world are deaf. They’ll never be able to enjoy the sounds of music or hear the voice of someone they care about. Be grateful that you can listen to relaxing music when you feel stressed.
3. Smell. As small as this may seem, I’ve heard of people who’ve lost their sense of smell and it completely changed their life. Have gratitude for still having your sense of smell.
4. Taste. When one loses their sense of taste, they lose their ability to enjoy all the flavors of food. We can be grateful for still being able to enjoy the taste of fruits, vegetables, and all of the foods we enjoy in the world.
5. Walking. Being able to get around is more of a blessing than we realize sometimes. There are people who have to use canes, crutches, and wheelchairs to move around. Be grateful for being able to walk on your own two feet with relatively little pain.
6. Lungs. If we don’t have any lung issues or have to use any machines to breathe in oxygen, that’s something to be grateful for.
7. Hand movement. I have to type a lot to make these articles on here. I’m grateful that I have hand movement that’s free of any arthritis. Whatever you use your hands for, be grateful you can still use them.
8. Teeth. Be grateful if you’ve not lost any of your teeth, and they’re not in any pain.
9. Neck movement. As someone who deals with neck pain from time to time, even I’m grateful that I can still move my neck from one side to the other. If you can as well, you can write that on your list.
10. Memory. As we get older, our memories may not be as good as they are now. Be grateful you can still remember the things that you want in your day.
11. Heart. There are people currently waiting for heart transplants in the hospital right now. We can be grateful that we have a working heart that still beats normally.
12.Bladder. Leaky bladders are an inconvenience that we can be grateful we don’t have to deal with.
13. Stomach. As someone who’s had stomach challenges, it’s something to be grateful for when your stomach isn’t in pain. Burning inside of it is definitely no fun. I’m grateful for when my stomach doesn’t experience that, and that I’ve been able to improve it little by little.
14. Bones. I once saw a commercial with a little kid who was born with brittle bone disease. He’d broken his bones hundreds of times. There was also an inspirational speaker who had this disability but managed to live an extraordinary life. It goes to show that not only we can be grateful for having healthy and strong bones, but we can be inspired to do more with the abilities that we’re lucky to have.
15. Overall health. My health hasn’t been the best in the most recent years of my lie, and maybe yours hasn’t either. Nonetheless, no matter our health challenges, we’re still alive. We can be grateful for our overall health still keeps us here. I’m grateful that my health is good for the most part.
16. Health insurance. I know not everyone reading this has health insurance. Those of you that do, be grateful your insurance helps to reduce your medical bills.
17. Meditation. There are many simple activities in life that can help improve our overall health. I’m grateful for meditation being one of those things that’s easy to do and helps us feel better.
18. Medicine. There have been many advancements in technology that have helped to heal many sicknesses that couldn’t be healed decades ago. Medicine is one of the top health things we can be grateful for in life, especially if you can afford it.
19. Doctors. In these times we’re living in, there are few people more deserving to be on this list than doctors. We can be grateful for all of them that dedicate their lives to making people feel well.
20. Exercise. It may not be the most fun thing to do for some of you, but be grateful if you’re physically able to exercise, and help keep yourself healthy.
21. Therapy. Mental health is just as important as physical health. We can be thankful that there are mental health professionals available to help us cope with the stress of the times.
22. Sickness. Yes, we can even be grateful for sickness. Going through it in a way makes us more appreciative when our health is good.
23. Fruits and vegetables. Some people are not in position to afford fruits, vegetables and other meals that keep us well. Be grateful you can enjoy the proper number of fruits and vegetables you need in your life.
24. Having money. While we may not have much in our wallet or our bank account, we can always be grateful we have some money to buy some things. There are a lot of people that don’t have any at all.
24. Earning money. You’ve probably seen how many people have had their jobs lost recently. If you’re still able to earn money for yourself, that’s a lot to be grateful for.
26. Little (or no) debt. It’d of course be nice not to have debt at all, but some people have 100’s of 1000’s of dollars in debt. If you’re one of the few who has low debt, it’s worth being grateful for.
27. Paid bills. Sometimes people reach a point where they can’t pay their bills for the month and their whole world is about to fall apart. It’s a blessing you can count if you can still pay your bills.
28. Shelter. Homelessness is an unfortunate crisis around the world. Be grateful if you stay in a home protected from the elements and able to live comfortably.
29. Food. I don’t have to tell you about starving people in the world. It’s sad and hopefully we can continue to improve it. Being able to have food on your table everyday can be in the top 10 of your thankful lists.
30. Clothing. It’s not just clothes we can be thankful for but being able to have clean ones through the luxury of our washing machines and dryers.
31. Clean water. Hearing about the water crisis in Flint a few years ago reminded me how lucky we are the water we drink is clean.
32. Clean air. China is one of the most heavily polluted areas in the world, with many people that end up developing respiratory issues. If you live in an area where the air around you are clean, it’s another thing to be grateful for.
33. Trees. Studies have proven being in nature is good for our overall wellbeing. Be grateful if you have lots of trees around where you live.
34. Sunshine. In some places it rains most of the time. Even if you live in a place like that, you can be very grateful the few times the sun actually comes out.
35. Animals. I find the sounds of the birds chirping and the movements of the squirrels to be peaceful. If you have these or other kinds of animals in your area, perhaps you can watch them for a moment. You might be thankful to just be able to see and hear nature in action.
36. Personality. You are who you are. There may be things about yourself you don’t like, but there are also things that you can appreciate. Whether it’s your intelligence or your kindness, find those things about yourself that make you thankful.
37. Childhood. Obviously not all of us had the best childhoods. Myself personally, I’d say mine was pretty decent for the most part. However, your childhood was, find one or two memories in that make you feel nostalgic and grateful.
38. Knowledge. We have more access to knowledge than ever before. We can be thankful to be able to learn things that improve our understanding of the world and make us better people.
39. Family. The people that are there for you and help you out in life, whether they’re related to you or not, that’s the family you can be grateful for.
40. Someone special. When you think about it, it’s an incredibly rare experience to have someone special in your life. If you have that now, that can be near the top of your list.
41. Future. You might be thinking, If the future is looking bleak, why be grateful for it? The reason we can be grateful for it is because there’s always a possibility it can get better. I’ve lived long enough to see it in my own life and other people’s lives.
42. Experiencing romantic love. Unfortunately, there are people who live long lives without having that experience of romantic love. We may not know how we got lucky to enjoy it, but we can be grateful we have.
43. Soft bed. After a long day of making through another day, be glad that you have a nice soft bed to lie in and get some good sleep.
44. Waking up. As we all know, some people don’t wake up to see another day. Be grateful that you did and those that you care about did as well.
45. Making it to the end of the day. One of the things I always reminded myself during difficult days was to just make it to the end of the day. I was and still am grateful whenever I can do that.
46. Productivity. We all can be lazy sometimes. It’s great when we have days where we get most if not all the things we wanted to accomplish done If you accomplished that, you could add it to your thankful list for today.
47. Growth and perspective. I learned a lot in my 40s, and I’m still learning a lot in this next stage of my life. No matter what age, we can be thankful for growth and perspective that helps us to be calmer about the world we live in.
48. Travels. Traveling has many benefits to our health. We can not only be grateful for what it does for us now, but the memories it gives us to enjoy looking back on.
49. Creativity. Whether you can sing, write, draw, or dance, our creative passions give us an escape in life we can be thankful for.
50. Kindness. It may seem like there are meaner people in this world today, but there are still people that are kind. Be grateful for the kindness you receive, and the acts of kindness that still happen every single day.
51. Open-mindedness. It can be a frustrating thing in society when people aren’t more open to different ideas and viewpoints. Be grateful when you come across people who are open-minded and willing to change their mind.
52. Exciting sports game. It can be exciting sports game or some other kind of live event. While there haven’t been many of them lately, we can look back at some of the ones we enjoyed most and be grateful to enjoy them all over again.
53. Inspiring speeches. I sometimes like looking back at old speeches in history. They can be uplifting in times of uncertainty. We can be grateful for all the people who had the courage and confidence to give inspiring speeches.
54. The moment work is finished. It’s always a great feeling when you finish your work for the day. Be grateful when you reach that point in your day.
55. A slice of pizza. Pizza is one of my favorite foods. Whatever yours is, it’s something you can be thankful for when you’re enjoying it.
56. A bowl of ice cream. While I’m more of a cookies and brownies person, I enjoy a bowl of ice cream every now and then. We can appreciate when we get to enjoy our favorite dessert.
57. Making someone laugh. When you make someone laugh, you make them feel good for a moment in their day. When we make people feel good, we make ourselves feel good too. Be glad when you can do that.
58. The quiet of the nighttime. Some neighborhoods aren’t as quiet as others, but when your neighborhood is quiet, stop for a moment and appreciate the peace of the silence.
59. Feeling relaxed. There are many moments in life where we feel stressed or anxious. That moment when you feel relaxed is one you should cherish and have gratitude for.
60. Faith. It’s an inspiring force in our lives, for those of us who are faith minded. If you are, have gratitude for faith’s influence and inspiration in your life.
61. Spiritual community. Connecting with a group of people who believe the same things as you can be comforting and make you happy. Be thankful for when you enjoy these times with your faith group.
62. Spiritual growth. Living a life of faith is a journey. Be glad for how far you’ve grown in your spirituality.
63. Prayer. I personally find prayer to be comforting, even if I’m not always sure it makes a difference in my life. It’s a nice feeling to believe you can ask for good things and good things may eventually happen. You can have gratitude for being able to pray.
64. Religious text. The words of a religious text can also be comforting. We can be thankful whenever we read something that comforts and inspires us in these difficult times.
65. Technology. We’re more able to connect with people and get information than ever before. If you have worked internet and a device that easily accesses it for you, you can be very grateful for these things.
66. Heating and cooling. The weather can be very harsh in some places in the world. Some live without access to heating and cooling to make their home comfortable. If you have that access, add that to your list.
67. Your own room. Lots of people don’t have the luxury of sleeping and being in their own room. Be glad if you have an area where you can be alone and completely yourself.
68. Shower. That moment that warms water hits your skin, have gratitude for the comfort of a working shower.
69. Clean floors. You can clean your floors and be happy to be able to comfortably walk barefoot in your home.
70. Happy moments. Even if the happy moments are few and far between, have thankfulness for when they do come. Cherish the happy moments.
71. Sadness. A study on crying shows that it can make us feel good and reduce the pain we feel. Hopefully you won’t be sad for long, but you can appreciate your tears help improve your well-being.
72. Mistakes. No one wants to make mistakes in life, but they’re one of the few ways we learn lessons in life. Be glad that your mistakes help you to grow into the better person you’re becoming each day.
73. Accomplishments. There are things you’ve done in life that you’re proud of. You can have thankfulness for those moments you achieved something great.
74. Hobbies. Everybody has something in life they enjoy doing. You can do those activities you enjoy and be thankful you get to enjoy them.
75. Favorite movies and TV shows. I like looking back at old TV shows or movies I really liked all the time. I’m grateful for the good feelings they still give me when I watch them again.
76. Thunderstorm at night. Sometimes thunderstorms can help us peacefully fall asleep at night. If it helps you, add this to your list.
77. Peaceful neighborhood. Living in a peaceful neighborhood where you feel safe is definitely a top thing to express gratefulness for.
78. Social media. While social media rightly gets criticized for the harm it can cause to our mental health, we can be appreciative of the good it gives us in staying connected with people that aren’t near us.
79. Car. It’s an amazing feeling to be able to get on the road and go wherever you want. Be glad if you have the luxury of doing that.
80. Instrument. I haven’t played my guitar in a long time, but I’m thankful for still being able to do that. Perhaps you can grab that instrument you haven’t touched in a while and have gratitude for still being able to play it.
81. Books. While I’m not much of a book reader, I know many people are. Be happy for the books that you can enjoy reading right now.
82. Shoes. We can be thankful to have shoes that protect our feet from the dirt, grass, and rocks when we walk outside.
83. Pest-free home. Believe it or not, some people live in apartments with rats, roaches, and large spiders. If you don’t, that can be added to your list.
84. Things that are still the same. We so often get frustrated with everything that goes wrong, we forget how much continues to go right for us every single day. The bus still shows up to take us to work, our phones and computers still work, etc. Think of the good things that keep working the same every day and add them to your daily thankful list.
85. Things that change. Even when things change in life, we can be glad for that too. Changes can bring about new experiences and new opportunities that can potentially make our lives better.
86. Heartbreak. While heartbreak is never pleasant, we can appreciate it’s making us stronger than we were before.
87. Chairs. We really don’t think about how much of an inconvenience it can be to not have chairs in our home. We can be glad that we don’t have to sit on the floors.
88. Tables. Similarly, with chairs, not having tables can be an inconvenience as well. Be thankful you have something to set things on when you need to.
89. Plates. We can be thankful we don’t have to hold all of our food in our hands.
90. Utensils. We can be thankful we don’t have to eat all of our food with our hands.
91. Naps. Appreciate the naps that you get to enjoy in the middle of the day.
92. Sleeping in. There are many people that have to wake up early for their specific jobs. I’m grateful that I don’t for mine, and you can be as well if that’s true for you.
93. Deep conversation. One of the things I enjoy most about talking to someone is having a deep conversation. Those long thought-provoking dialogues are something we can continually be glad for in 2020.
94. You had breakfast, lunch and dinner. Unfortunately, some people can only have one meal a day. We can all be glad if we’re lucky enough to get to enjoy three or more a day.
95. Making progress. Even if the progress you’re making is small, you can appreciate it getting you closer to where you want to be in life.
96. Indoor plumbing. In some places, people have to go outside to use the bathroom. Being able to use the bathroom in the comfort of our home is another luxury we can be appreciative of.
97. The past. We can be glad for our past helping us to become the best of ourselves that we are today.
98. Weekends. After a long week, if you don’t have to work on the weekends, you can be thankful for the rest you get to have.
99. Mondays. A lot of people tend to not like the start of the work week. Nonetheless, Mondays are something we can be thankful for because it’s another chance to put in work for the future we want someday.
100. Alarms. I used to be able to wake up early easily. I’m grateful that we have alarms that help us wake up at the time we need to.
101.Freedom. Last but not least, we can be glad to have freedom. While some of us might have it more than others, just to be able to make some of your own choices is something that should give us gratitude.
What should I put on my list? You should put whatever makes you feel genuinely thankful. We all have unique things that we can express appreciation for that are specific to our life. Think about what those things are for you and put that on your list.
What are examples of gratitude? Examples of gratitude include being grateful for your family, your friends, your possessions, and the life that you have. You can look around you to point out the people and things you have in your life to be glad for.
What are 3 things you are thankful for? Now that you’ve seen this list of things you can express thankfulness for, think of three things you’re happy to have right now. As I write this, I’m happy to have my bed, my laptop, and being able to write these articles.
How do you express sincere gratitude? If you want to express sincere gratitude to someone, tell them exactly how you feel about what they’ve done for you in life. It’s as simple as that.
Why you should be glad for your life? Gratitude helps to make us feel good. Countless studies have shown that. Being grateful for your life can help keep your mood boosted. You don’t have to be happy about everything in your life, but you can always find one thing to be glad for.
Strength and courage,
Wade
