A Surefire Way To Happiness Right Now

Many of us are about to celebrate the classic American holiday of Thanksgiving today. It’s a day that brings people of different religions, creeds, genders and ages together to give thanks and share a meal. It’s a wonderful model for joy because as research has taught us, it’s not being joyful that makes us grateful, but the other way around. It’s being grateful for what we already have that leads to joy.

We’re a nation hungry for more joy: Because we’re starving from a lack of gratitude.

Brene Brown

So between all the turkey and stuffing and pumpkin pie that will be eaten today, let’s remember to take a few moments to really think about the things we are grateful for right now. It is the best and fastest way to experience joy and it doesn’t even cost a dime. Try listing 100 things in your life that you are grateful for. Then sit back, take in your list, and feel the joy rise within you. Happy Thanksgiving!

Here is my list of 100 things I’m grateful for right now.

1. My life
2. My creator
3. My husband
4. My marriage
5. Being a mom
6. My children
7. My puppy 
8. My kitty (my kids would kill me if I didn’t include him, even though I’m partial to 🐶)
9. Having both my parents
10. My siblings
11. My cousins 
12. My extended family
13. Family by choice
14. Old friends and new friends and friends I haven’t yet met
15. My colleagues
16. My patients 
17. My neighbors 
18. My community 
19. Being a physician 
20. Having a waiting list of patients who want to benefit from my knowledge 
21. Working for a company that deals with the marketing and finance of medicine so I don’t have to
22. Being a coach
23. Having my own business
24. Learning how to deal with marketing and finance that it takes to run a business 
25. Autonomy
26. Spending the majority of my life helping others 
27. Having money to provide for my family
28. My emergency fund
29. Ability to earn money 
30. Well functioning body
31. Well functioning mind
32. My health
33. Ability to think about my thinking and choose my thoughts 
34. My relationships with others 
35. My relationship with G-d
36. My spirituality 
37. My relationship with myself
38. Reducing someone’s suffering by something I say or do or even think or pray about 
39. Change of seasons
40. Hot coffee or warm tea on a cold day
41. Sunshine
42. Clouds
43. Rain
44. Rainbows
45. Night 
46. A new beginning each day 
47. First snow of the season
48. My kids’ reaction to the first snow
49. My puppy’s reaction to the first snow
50. The ocean
51. The look, sound and feel of the water
52. Waves
53. Warm sand on my feet 
54. A waterfall 
55. A warm shower
56. A warm bath
57. Great smelling lotion 
58. Listening to great podcasts
59. Learning
60. Teaching 
61. My desire to learn
62. Sitting by warm fire and feeling it, seeing it, and smelling it 
63. Meeting for coffee or a drink 
64. Watching a good movie on a big screen
65. Watching a good movie on a comfy couch 
66. A great book 
67. Live theater
68. Live shows/concerts
69. Listening to my kids play piano
70. Hearing live music
71. Dancing
72. Music
73. Laughter 
74. A smile
75. Kind words and compassion 
76. Love
77. Watching my kids work hard and struggle and then create success
78. Hosting an event where people have a great time 
79. Watching my kids grow and mature
80. Good food
81. Chocolate 
82. Good drinks 
83. Travel
84. Airplanes and airports 
85. My home 
86. My dishwasher
87. My washer & dryer
88. My cleaning lady
89. My car
90. Planned vacation with my family
91. Sparkling lights 
92. Pretty decorations 
93. My clothes 
94. My shoes
95. Baking 
96. Cooking a meal for my family 
97. Watching a lit candle 
98. A great conversation 
99. A funny meme 
100. Learning something new about someone

I hope my list inspires you to write your own. It won’t take you very long to do so, but the time spent will be well worth the investment. The joy you will reap from this simple exercise will be instant and lasting and will carry you the rest of the holiday and beyond.