Welcome back to our gratitude blog where we’re zooming in on the daily gifts and blessings that we might ordinarily look right past.  In Part 1, we explored the benefits of gratitude along with some pathways for appreciating at a deeper level some of the basics in life that we can easily take for granted—and seeing them for what they are: true blessings.

Here in Part 2, we’re diving deeper to explore the many “bonus blessings” that are part of the cornucopia of life.  Simply being reminded of these gifts—and turning attention to them with appreciation—can bring a renewed sense of wonder and gratitude, boosting both your health and happiness.

Appreciating the Bonuses:

• The Blessing of Connectivity

Having the ability to press a button or a key and instantly connect to a voice on the other side of the world is truly phenomenal, but since this capability has become woven into our day-to-day, we can easily take this for granted, just as we can take for granted the capability to do a global video chat or to tap into websites, podcasts, videos, and online chats, as well as radio and streaming channels of all kinds.  But truly the expansive scope and intricate nature of this kind of connectivity is a wonder that we would be lost without—for business, banking, commerce, communication, entertainment, and more.  Perhaps today as you log into one of your electronic devices, pause to consider for a moment how your day would be different if you suddenly received a “no service” message—and then hop online, and enjoy!

• The Blessing of Transportation

In the hustle and bustle of life, sometimes we can be so focused on an upcoming appointment, meeting, or activity that we give little thought, if any, to how we’re getting from point A to point B.  In fact, sometimes our minds are racing so much as we commute that we may not even notice the scenery that we’re passing!  Whether it’s a car, truck, bus, train, subway, plane, boat, bicycle, scooter, or your own two feet that are taking you from here to there, pause and give a heartfelt thank you!

• The Blessing of Healthcare

While going to the doctor or dentist may not be on your top ten list of favorite things to do, when you get right down to it, having the opportunity to receive health care is a tremendous blessing.  Preventative care can help us circumvent a vast array of difficulties, and treatment for ailments can offer tremendous relief.  Having access to medicine as well, whether it be pharmaceutical, herbal, or homeopathic, is another significant blessing, which we may miss as we discuss the costs or other associated factors.  Even having access to medical instruments like blood pressure cuffs, thermometers, and oximeters can be game changers when monitoring health issues from home. The next time you schedule an appointment rather than focusing on the cost or the inconvenience, try turning your attention to appreciating being able to access the support and care that you need.

• The Blessing of Stress-Relief Techniques

Imagine for a moment a world without any stress-relief techniques.  Pretty intense, right? While you might bemoan the fact that you don’t have time for stress relief techniques like meditation, yoga, massage, or walks in nature, the fact that they do exist is something to truly celebrate.  Sometimes it just takes a change in perspective to prioritize your wellbeing to tap into the stress-relief techniques that exist.  Even taking five minutes to unplug, relax, and listen to your favorite music is a simple, convenient, and effective way to deescalate your stress levels, and it doesn’t get much better than that!

• The Blessing of Beauty

Have you ever noticed how beautiful a leaf or a flower petal or a stone or a pinecone is when you look at it up close?  Beauty is all around us!  The gorgeous colors of sunrise, the vibrant colors of sunset, and the variation of shades of blue in the sky bless us daily.  There is plenty of beauty also in the patterns and textures of clothing, architectural designs, and in many manmade objects.  Often it just takes slowing down to notice and appreciate variables, such as graphics, symmetry, and other aesthetic qualities. Notice, too, the beauty in the smiling faces of your friends, family members, and neighbors.  While beauty means something different to everyone, beauty has an incredible power to uplift us, and that’s something huge to be grateful for!

• The Blessing of Friendship

Whether it’s pals we played on the playground with back when we were kids or friends from college or new buddies at the workplace, friendship has a way of making life so much sweeter.  Friends bring companionship, compassion, understanding, encouragement, and loads of fun!  From lending a listening ear for you to vent your frustrations to joining you for activities that you both enjoy, friends can make the worst days bearable and the good days even better!  From sports to concerts to book clubs to gardening to shopping to cooking, having a friend by your side tends to double your happiness. Given the fact that loneliness and isolation have been cited by medical researchers as having as negative of an effect as smoking fifteen cigarettes a day, having friendships not only makes you happier but also healthier, so the next time you see your friends, give them a hug or a high-five!

• The Blessing of Creative Expression

The world is made ever more lovely and intriguing by creative expression.  Think of all the visual art, music, dance, theatre, and literature we would be missing out on if the creativity factor did not exist. Creative expression not only uplifts our spirits and challenges our minds, it also is a wonderful form of stress relief!  From painting to sketching to drawing to making pottery to woodcarving to quilting to knitting to singing to dancing to playing musical instruments to composing songs and choreography to writing stories and poems to journaling to decorating to cooking to building and designing to solving equations and coming up with workarounds to problems, creativity can truly enhance your ability to relax and to enjoy life more!  So the next time you pull out a sketch pad or warm up your instrument or embark upon any creative adventure, reach your arms wide and give yourself a hug for doing such a positive thing for your wellbeing.

• The Blessing of Community

Interacting with others in your community can be both uplifting and enjoyable.  This can take many forms, such as volunteer service, chatting in the park, playing pick-up games of kickball, softball, and basketball, chatting with other dog walkers on nearby trails, participating in neighborhood potlucks, and more!  The next time you pass by a flyer or scroll past an email inviting you to a community function, pause to appreciate the many opportunities you have to connect, learn, and grow by interacting and meeting new friends in a variety of ways.

And Yes, Appreciate the Challenges

• The Blessing of Challenges  

While it can feel counterintuitive to classify challenges as blessings, the truth of the matter is that stressful moments, difficult conversations, awkward interactions, crises, sleepless nights, illnesses, financial burdens, irritability, anger, anxiety, and sadness are all opportunities for growth, for deepening self-awareness, and for sparking positive transformation.  They also open the door for forgiveness—both of yourself and others—which brings with it the possibility to evolve into ever-new versions of yourself, staving off stagnation and promoting insight, self-compassion, empathy, hope, and more.

Bonus Tip

While the bountiful harvest of goodness is fresh in your mind, pause to make a list and place it as a reminder on your fridge, desk, phone, or computer so when you have those difficult days when life seems bleak, as we all invariably will, your list will help you tap back into your cornucopia of blessings. This simple act can elevate your mind-body-spirit wellbeing in a heartbeat.

During this season of thankfulness—and throughout the year—keep turning your attention to the treasures in life, both big and small, and we guarantee that as you invite gratitude into your life more and more, it will catapult you into renewed health, happiness, and overall wellbeing.  As they say, there’s no time like the present: open your heart to appreciate something—anything—in this moment, and use that momentum to keep moving forward, until your basket of blessings overflows!