Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve are just around the corner. While all of these holidays celebrate something different, they all involve giving gratitude. That sounds easy on paper, it can be difficult for anyone who’s had a rough year. Politics, tragedies, and life in general can make you feel like there’s nothing to be grateful for.

Gratitude helps us to become more optimistic without denying what’s happening around us. It can also bring some much-needed holiday spirit back into our lives. When we focus on how the things we already have make our lives whole, we may find ourselves stressing less on what we don’t have. Since the holidays are already stressful, there’s no better time to practice gratitude than now!

50 Things To Be Grateful For

This winter, take any of these gratitude prompts with you as you push through the rest of the year. They might not all apply to you, and that’s okay. Even if you only find one thing to be grateful for this season, reflecting on it can improve your outlook as we begin a new decade!

1. Having family members that live close by.
2. Skype, FaceTime, and all of the video messaging apps that let us see our faraway loved ones.
3. Social media’s role in reconnecting you to old friends.
4. Your circle of friends.
5. Your education, whether it was formal or informal.
6. Recovery from an illness or injury.
7. Sobriety from alcohol, drugs, or toxic people.
8. A support group, whether it’s online or in your local community.
9. Your community’s resources for people in need.
10. A new season of a TV show you enjoy.
11. Young leaders inciting change in your community, country, and around the world.
12. Having a safe living situation.
13. All of your hobbies, past or present.
14. Your spirituality and/or religion.
15. Accountability partners for your career, family, or spirituality.
16. The animals that are no longer endangered.
17. Your spouse or romantic partner.
18. Your individuality.
19. All of the different ways you can eat potatoes.
20. Vegan and vegetarian versions of classic holiday dishes.
21. Gluten-free recipes for holiday desserts.
22. Unlimited texting, data, or calling.
23. Knowing when your next meal will be.
24. Your pets.
25. Libraries and their resources, programming, and contributions to your community.
26. Discounted holiday decorations after the holiday ends.
27. Living in an area that doesn’t see freezing temperatures in the winter.
28. Living in an area that sees snow.
29. Heated blankets, space heaters, and anything else that keeps us warm indoors.
30. Not having a lot of debt.
31. Being alive today.
32. Your culture, heritage, or anything else you grew up with.
33. Art and literature being more accessible than it used to be.
34. Western and/or natural medicine, both old and new.
35. Overcoming 100% of your struggles so far.
36. Family heirlooms or future heirlooms.
37. An event that brought everyone together again.
38. The emotionally draining people who walked out of your life – the trash took itself out.
39. Diverse spaces that allow you to meet people you otherwise might not have interacted with.
40. This year finally coming to a close, and the ability to start fresh.
41. Holiday traditions that have survived for years, decades, or generations.
42. Living in a country with religious, occupational, and overall freedom.
43. Thrift stores, consignment shops, and online secondhand finds.
44. Free samples at the grocery store.
45. Second chances.
46. Safe, clean water.
47. Those who fought for our rights so we don’t have to.
48. Our troops and veterans.
49. Inexpensive airline tickets.
50. The fact that stressful holiday seasons always come to an end.

Everyone practices gratitude differently. Some people use journals or books, while others set reminders on their phones. I posted a list of ways to practice gratitude with the 30 day challenge.  How will you commit to gratitude this holiday season? How will you show what you are grateful for?

[latoyia]