Gratitude can change your life. When we adopt an attitude of gratitude, our perspective shifts from what we don’t have to everything we do. It erases discontent and reminds us of our blessings.
I wrote a list of 100 small things that I am grateful for. Smells. Tastes. Tiny blessings. These are the things we skip over. We forget. Yet these are the things that fill up our days.
I challenge you to read through my list, and then make one of your own. Consider the small things – the mundane. Think about the everyday things we take for granted. We spend so much time waiting for the next “big” thing that we so often miss the small things. And let me tell you – life is so much more about the small things than the few and far-between big things.
Start becoming more aware of the small things. Relish the little things. Use your senses. Observe. Smile. Live from a place of gratitude for everything and watch your life change.
- the first blooms of lavender in my yard each spring
- the smell of the earth after a rain
- that first sip of ice cold Diet Coke in the morning
- holding my husband’s hand
- fresh air breezing in through an open window
- the first snowflakes of the season
- watching old Disney movies with my children
- re-reading chapter books I loved as a child with my kids
- really good pickles
- opening a new box of crayons
- snuggling with my favorite quilt
- opening the chicken coop to find eggs
- decorating for the holidays
- when every member of my family enjoys the dinner I’ve made
- licking the beater
- a cold pillow at night
- fresh sheets
- Doris Day music
- watching my kids get caught up in a book
- field trip days
- the smell of your house when your crockpot has been on all day
- mornings when I’m up, dressed, and have had my coffee before the kids wake up
- encouraging emails from readers
- lighting candles
- ridiculously large salads
- cookies fresh out of the oven
- the “what was I thinking” moment right before a roller-coaster hill
- cherry anything
- the way my kids smell after a bath
- catching my husband’s eye across the room when the kids are being silly/cute
- watching the leaves change color
- when the contestant I’m rooting for on my goofy reality shows actually wins
- cinnamon
- fuzzy socks
- discovering a new author or book series that I love
- beef, tomato, and ham pizza
- finding a root beer Dum-Dum in the bag
- when no one sits in front of you at the movie theater
- quoting cheesy movies
- thrift stores
- extra-sharp cheese
- finding a parking spot close to the door
- Rocky Road candy bars
- essential oils
- back rubs
- when cities put Christmas lights on the trees and buildings
- when you’re humming a song, turn the radio on, and it’s playing
- being on time
- vintage anything
- jeans that fit just right
- soft funky t-shirts
- kids in footie pajamas
- being in a hot-tub when it’s cold outside
- mellow-creme pumpkins
- a day with no-one in time-out
- when a checker opens a new lane at the grocery store just for you
- re-runs of 80’s cartoons
- when I can actually figure out how to do a hairstyle I watched in a tutorial video
- slightly under-ripe bananas
- entering giveaways
- watching videos of Disneyland rides on YouTube
- when it is sunny and NOT warm
- old music that has that wonderfully warm and “scratchy” quality
- live jazz
- 60’s bakeware
- when the Buckeyes play well
- the perfect cup of Earl Grey tea
- wax melts
- hoodies
- a made bed
- Chopped marathons
- donuts
- writing a piece that connects with my readers
- watching college football with my husband
- driving a 4-wheeler
- walking into my backyard and hearing nothing but nature
- fireworks
- the smell of old books
- sitting around a fire
- hearing my kids say they don’t miss public school
- Christmas music
- baking
- when none of the commercials during a break are inappropriate
- old-fashioned candy stores
- the beach
- looking for the red clearance stickers at Target
- almond-scented anything
- when my husband and I both want to watch the same movie
- cookbooks
- when you go to a park, zoo, museum, etc. on a “slow” day/lower attendance day
- when the movie ends the way you want it to
- chocolate marshmallow cookies
- when you finish your whole bowl of cereal before it gets soggy
- early bedtime night for the kids
- family movie nights
- when my kids want me to read to them
- farm-fresh apples
- better-than-expected traffic
- lemon water
- when the grocery stores start stocking the holiday-flavored creamers
What will YOU find to be grateful for? Ferris was right: life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around, you might miss it!
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