15 Simple Things You Are Grateful For When Times Are Tough

When times are tough, can you give thanks for finding simple things for which you are grateful?

All of us have great days.

When things go as planned or even better.

When we bounce from meeting to meeting effortlessly.

The vortexes in our private life seem to move breezily.

We feel lovely on the inside.

“Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, include all things in your gratitude.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Then there are other days – the tough days.

Days when we do not feel like waking up.

When we think, “What’s the point?” or

“Same old, same old humdrum.”

We don’t feel motivated at all.

When our best-laid plans go out the window before the morning has begun.

Sometimes, essential things go unexpectedly wrong, and we get that sinking feeling deep in our stomach.

OR when we feel sorry for ourselves.

Honestly, days like these are far too many.

We all have had them before

I know I want to go back to bed and sleep again.

Think About Things You Are Grateful For

The cultivation of gratitude holds us fast when we encounter setbacks in life.

The simplest and certainly one of the most effective ways to change our thoughts is to turn around mornings, days, weeks, and even months.

Yes, some of us feel it for the longest time.

Turn these feelings into something more positive by turning our focus to gratitude.

1 Benefits of Gratitude

Imagine if things look tough this morning.

It rained, you had a puncture, and you dropped your laptop.

What happens for the rest of the day, the next three days, the following week, or three months depends on what you do now.

If you can find something to feel grateful for about your life and smile – you would have broken that “hump day curse.”

Let me share a small list of 10 simple things I feel grateful for daily.

2 I usually reflect and write three things I am grateful for every morning before I call it a day.

It has helped me, and I think it could help others, too.

Take what works from this list of 10 Simple Things You Are Grateful For.

You can create and add your list as you go along.

Food, water, clothing, sleep, and shelter are the bare necessities for survival and things on our gratitude list.

3 A Roof Over My Head And A Warm Home. 

Every time it pours, I am thankful I have a roof over my head.

Home is always a safe, warm shelter.

I often return to being grateful for a roof over my head.

When it is raining, windy, and cold outside, I feel a sense of gratitude surge in my heart.

4 A Drink Of Clean, Cool Tap water.

I was in Taipei City during a typhoon, and there was a three-day water and electricity outage.

We each had three bottles of small mineral water and had to ration ourselves.

I love water and drink about 1.5L of it every day.

During that episode in Taipei, I came to appreciate drinkable water and indoor plumbing.

We have taken tap water for granted and expect water whenever we turn it on.

Seven hundred eighty million people lack access to safe drinking water, according to water.org.

5 I Have Healthy Food To Eat.

I am grateful for the many people who have fed me.

Many people cooked and shared meals with me before I started blogging.

When I try to prepare meals, I cook and eat something healthy and tasty.

I am grateful for the abundance of food whenever I am invited to a buffet.

The positive outcome may be a few extra pounds.

6 I Have Clothes To Wear.

When I was young, we were poor, and some rich people would give my family hand-me-downs. Clothes, towels, bedsheets, pillowcases, and blankets.

Sometimes, we will receive school bags or purses.

I’m always grateful because I know I have clothes and comfortable shoes that keep me warm.

It doesn’t matter if it’s secondhand or costs $5. The important thing is we have clean sheets and clothes to wear.

7 I Fall Asleep Like A Baby

Before I turned 50, I wanted a career change.

I spent 35 years in architecture and construction and was utterly bored with my career.

I did what I loved most, that was writing.

I wrote from 10 pm to 4 am for the first few years.

Today, I write from 10 pm to midnight and sleep like a baby.

Why?

I am grateful for air conditioning because I sleep like a baby and wake up to enjoy the sunrise.

8 I Enjoy The Simple, Free Pleasures Of Life.

A sunrise.

I love my morning walks by the river.

My morning cup of coffee.

I love the trees and grass in the early mornings after the rains and look for mushrooms.

I was waking up early enough to breathe in the crisp air and fill my lungs with cool air.

I look up as the sun rises through the foliage in the sky.

The sky is blue and clear, filled with tiny puffs of white cloud.

9 Access To The Internet.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, we have lived in Zoominverse more than in real life.

When I was in high school back in the ’70s, if I wanted to learn about something, I had to take a bus to the local library – maybe there was a book or magazine about it.

It was harder to ask someone who may know.

The best thing about living today is the internet.

Things are so different now, and even though it is just a part of everyday life, it is still amazing.

10 I Can Learn About Everything I Am Interested In Online.

We can add new skills and habits to make our lives happier.

Going online and meeting people all over the world is incredible. We learn what other people share online.

I share what I learn through my blogs so I can inspire gratitude.

The best is the opportunity to connect with and get to know people from all around the world.

11 My Family And Friends.

I am grateful for the love, support, kindness, and fun my family and friends offer.

And I am grateful for what I get to offer them in return for a meaningful life.

Remember to stay in touch with phone calls and positive feedback.

12 I Take Care Of My Health.

I learned I am not indestructible. My body needs good nutrition, exercise, sleep, and rest to work optimally.

Sometimes, I get sick.

Every day, I am thankful for my body and brain.

I am grateful that my body helps me do everything – see, listen, walk, think, and experience my world – every day.

I am grateful for my feelings because I can write, hug, and kiss someone I love.

13 The Kindness Of People I Have Never Met Before.

I attract good, kind, and supportive people everywhere I go.

I am drawn to them, and they are to me.

Every day, I get kind and supportive messages from WhatsApp, emails, and social media from people who read my blog posts.

Their expressions of gratitude make my life meaningful.

I am happy to help them and keep moving along even when things feel tough.

I truly appreciate the simple kindness I experience in my daily life.

Sometimes, people let me skip ahead of them in the checkout line.

Other times, I let other cars cut before me when I drive.

I smile and wave to others.

I get my actions reciprocated when I least expect them to.

Some of the kind people stay for moments, others a few seconds.

Some impressions last a lifetime.

For this blessing, I am grateful.

14 Some Setbacks Formed Me And Strengthened Me.

I wasn’t the healthiest baby, and as a toddler, I used to have frequent fevers.

My childhood memories are filled with trips to the pediatrician for injections and a cold compress.

I injured my back and had a lousy slipped disk; I was taking painkillers every day.

I learned to smile and tell myself that I would get better.

I am walking without pain, running, driving, and traveling.

I am grateful for all these setbacks because they strengthened me.

It has made me appreciate everything I have and can do here.

15 I Am Alive.

My life is fantastic because I am alive.

Sometimes I was young and nearly stepped off the pavement into oncoming traffic – numerous times and their quick reaction time pulled me back to safety.

Think about your own life.

I am sure there have been many occasions when someone saved us, so we are here.

In Conclusion: Things You Are Grateful For Makes You Thankful For Blessings

Do you have an attitude of gratitude?

These ten simple things you are grateful for can be anything.

From the food you get to eat for your meals to your relationships with strangers you met before.

These people can be your teachers and mentors to guide you on your path.

From your past failures, you can connect to new opportunities.

You can be a step aside from your following successes.

Whatever time of year, gratitude and giving thanks can remind us to be grateful for our many blessings.

We all have Thanksgiving traditions where we take one special day to express our thanks and gratitude.

What do you feel grateful for today as you are reading this?

You might experience a tough day or time, but you can overcome the most challenging times if you identify with gratitude.

We challenge you to be grateful every day of the year.

Now, write the top things that you are grateful for today.