100 Things I'm Thankful for This Thanksgiving Season

In the midst of Thanksgiving we are routinely challenged to practice gratitude within our everyday lives. Forsaking what we’re thankful for is a natural human experience, and often we fixate on the negative as opposed to the positive. We highlight what we don’t have versus what we do have. Mental illness can add to that type of negative mindset and deter us from feeling fortunate for our circumstances. But even if our circumstances are saturated with trials and tribulations I believe we always have something to be grateful for; something to ignite an inferno of thankfulness at our cores.

Here is a list of 100 things we can appreciate while acknowledging the goodness that exists within us, and those things that surround us.

1. Lavender sprouting in the summertime, its aroma spidering out into the downtown streets

2. A hug from someone you haven’t seen in a long time

3. The pitter-patter of your pet’s paws bounding down the hallway toward your bedroom

4. A full belly and warm home

5. Willow trees lazily flowing in a gentle breeze

6. High marks on an essay you worked tirelessly over

7. Purchasing boardwalk and park place in Monopoly

8. Awakening hours before your alarm is set to sound off and rolling over back to sleep

9. The knit of your favorite sweater

10. A cathartic therapy session

11. New and old friendships

12. A song beautifully coordinating with your drive along the countryside

13. A first kiss

14. The aria of a baby’s laughter

15. Dancing in your kitchen while you cook a decadent meal

16. The milky way that environs us and twinkles above us at nightfall

17. Someone’s personal story changing your mindset and perspective in your own life

18. Catapulting yourself into plush snowbanks in your backyard

19. The ocean’s tide always pushing and pulling back again without fail

20. Saying “I love you” for the first time and never ceasing after that

21. Communities uniting after tragedy to bring light and positivity to one another

22. Binge-watching classic films on a rainy weekend afternoon

23. Fireflies fluttering around you and capturing them in mason jars on humid summer dusks

24. Scavenging for the softest blanket in the entirety of a store

25. Ladybugs and honeybees

26. Being a writer and crafting a myriad of characters and their universes

27. Razor sharp cat eyeliner over a spectacularly blended smokey eye makeup look

28. Pride parades and rainbow flags

29. Orchestrating a surprise for somebody

30. Spooky legends and s’mores around campfires during crisp October eventides

31. Desserts like ice cream sundaes, cheesecakes, salted caramel gelato, and red velvet cupcakes

32. Tending to plants in a thriving garden

33. Crawling under your covers after a notably arduous day

34. Witnessing your favorite musicians in concert and screaming along to the lyrics

35. Alternatively, discovering new artists and bands at spontaneous concerts

36. Intimate weddings with your utmost beloved relatives and/or friends

37. Establishing a balance in your medications that help guide you away from relapsing

38. Candid photography of people and places

39. A revitalizing spiritual or religious experience

40. Heated bubble baths after bitter wintry work days

41. Daisies and sunflowers

42. A compliment from a stranger

43. Illustrating in ink in moleskin sketchbooks

44. Vintage jazz tunes from the early and mid-twentieth century

45. A barista deliciously brewing your coffee or tea order

46. Stand-up comedy specials

47. Mutual apologies that resolve a misunderstanding

48. Sunbathing poolside beneath sweltering sunshine

49. Reminiscing through memories that had been stowed away in your attic or basement

50. Vinyls and record players

51. Typewriters and love letters

52. Indulging in greasy fast food now and then

53. Blueberry pancakes and mimosas for brunch

54. Lo-fi music

55. Pocketing a penny you spotted on the asphalt

56. Digging your fingertips into the cool sand on a beach

57. Traveling to destinations you have yet to visit

58. Collecting stationery and office supplies

59.  Learning to play an instrument

60. Recovery from mental or physical illness, addiction, etc.

61. Thunderstorms

62. Standing up for yourself

63. Watching trailers before a film at the cinema and snacking on buttered popcorn

64. Milestone anniversaries

65. Finger painting

66. Replaying home videos

67. Shaved legs and fresh sheets

68. Healing from past traumas

69. Sleeping in after a taxing week

70. Progressing along with and attaining your ambitions and aspirations

71. Poetry that you can identify with

72. The Northern Lights

73. Vibrant sunrises and sunsets

74. Sipping on peppermint hot chocolate and opening your stockings on Christmas morning

75. Hiking along a breathtaking nature trail

76. Dedications at the beginning of novels

77. Comfortable silence

78. Understanding that you are loved, wanted, needed and valid

79. Yoga at dawn

80. Somebody you cherish cooking you your favorite meal

81. Fresh produce at a farmer’s market

82. Your preferred ending to a novel, tv series, film, etc. actually happening

83. Pregnancy, new life and commemorating birthdays

84. Building forts

85. The first rainfall of the springtide

86. Volunteering your time and efforts to a cause you’re impassioned about

87. Bubblegum

88. Browsing through art and science museums, absorbing fascinating information and concepts

89. Dyeing your hair to something unique or getting a piercing

90. Meaningful tattoos and for-the-hell-of-it tattoos too

91. The privilege of education

92. Cursive handwriting

93. Space exploration and the untouched cosmos

94. Dining at a luxurious restaurant

95. Expressing your admiration to your role model

96. Wildlife

97. Fairy lights strung around your bedroom

98. Polaroid pictures and disposable cameras

99. Organizing a cluttered space

100. Being alive

What are you thankful and grateful for? Share in the comments.