Saturday, March 23, 2013

100 things I'm grateful for

I've been working on this list for several months, off and on. It seems my life is pretty awesome. I don't mean to brag; I just hope my list makes you a little more grateful for the blessings in your life.

  1. I have friends who care about me.
  2. God listens when I pray.
  3. God put me here on this earth to learn and gave His Son to get me back.
  4. I get to learn daily about how the world works.
  5. I am healthy and strong.
  6. I've been blessed with an acute intellect.
  7. There is beautiful music.
  8. Nature is beautiful.
  9. Nature provides never-ending opportunities to study.
  10. I get second chances. And thirty-fifth chances.
  11. There are magnificently powerful tools to help me accomplish almost anything.
  12. There are holy temples all over the world and I get to attend them frequently.
  13. Even the people I don't know are usually really nice to me.
  14. There is lots of freely and reasonably priced art available in lots of forms.
  15. I have a good singing voice.
  16. There are more good books to read than I could possibly digest in a lifetime.
  17. God guides me. He knows what He's doing, even though I don't.
  18. My body heals itself.
  19. Not everyone is the same as I am, which makes life interesting.
  20. I have a stable family.
  21. I was raised in a home where education is valued.
  22. My basic needs have always been met.
  23. I was able to become financially independent while still in college.
  24. I basically never had to pay tuition.
  25. For almost every topic, I have a friend who is knowledgeable about it.
  26. There are libraries.
  27. The internet allows me to access information quickly.
  28. I can communicate instantaneously with people all over the world.
  29. There have been and are prophets and their teachings are invaluable.
  30. The prophets also provide good (but human) examples.
  31. My friends know my quirks and shortcomings and still want to be my friends.
  32. I have friends who are willing to call me out when I'm wrong.
  33. I have friends who can see qualities in me that I can't see.
  34. People teach me the lessons they've spent a lifetime learning.
  35. My mission changed me forever.
  36. I have frequent opportunities to serve others.
  37. I'm capable of growing a beard.
  38. I have enough flexibility to take a nap when I need one.
  39. Hot showers during cold winters.
  40. Worlds don't end when I err, which is a luxury not afforded to movie characters.
  41. My ex-girlfriends aren't ex-friends.
  42. People do so much good that I see it even when I'm not looking for it.
  43. My car works and even looks pretty good.
  44. I'm not dead, despite the many times I've been in serious danger.
  45. Thanks to freezers, I can enjoy basically any food at any time.
  46. I know stuff about nutrition.
  47. I look pretty good bald.
  48. Dancing is fun and I'm good at it.
  49. People's parents seem to like me.
  50. People can change - myself included.
  51. Someday, I get to have a family.
  52. The chant "You're either with Petey or against America!"
  53. I've had lots of opportunities to benefit from the wisdom of generations past.
  54. Little children have a knack for believing and seeing the best. It's inspiring.
  55. I get to live in a place where there's room to spread out and breathe.
  56. My mother taught me how to cook.
  57. My mother taught me manners.
  58. My father taught me to always do what's right, regardless of circumstance.
  59. In-laws: they're sudden extensions to the family.
  60. I've never had to fight to defend myself and likely won't have to.
  61. I live in a culture where most people deal effectively with bodily odors.
  62. I get ample reminders to do good things and improve.
  63. I get ample reminders that I'm actually a decent guy.
  64. Summertime.
  65. I've always had a ward, so I've always had friends.
  66. It's okay to take a break when I need one; there's always more time.
  67. Beyond my necessities, I enjoy several luxuries.
  68. I can type. It's fast, accurate, and otherwise less annoying than writing.
  69. I get divine help when I need it, even for mundane tasks.
  70. There are many good examples of familial happiness and stability.
  71. My whole life is perfectly designed to teach me what I need to progress.
  72. Winter is beautiful.
  73. The sun always comes back.
  74. The vast majority of the bad things that could happen don't happen.
  75. Exercise works. It's possible to do hard things and not be sore later.
  76. Nerd skills come in handy.
  77. Affordable gamma lids.
  78. Poetry beautiful enough to get my attention.
  79. I live in a time where violence is discouraged rather than encouraged.
  80. The ability to learn from my mistakes.
  81. Writing allows me to express myself and to think through my problems.
  82. Different cultures capture different truths. We get to learn from them.
  83. It's fun to learn languages and doing so changes how I see the world.
  84. My failures and disappointments have made me better.
  85. Every once in a while, I hit a string of green lights.
  86. People I haven't seen in years are happy to see me again.
  87. Deciduous forests.
  88. Mountain lakes.
  89. I sometimes get feelings of surpassing wonder. They're never predictable.
  90. My vivid imagination makes my life incredibly rich.
  91. Hoods and hats go a long way towards keeping my bald head warm.
  92. There's a reason to laugh every day. Often, there are several.
  93. My great sense of smell is coupled with a strong resistance to revulsion.
  94. When there aren't great people to spend time with, there are good books.
  95. Most of the things I need to do become interesting if they aren't already.
  96. Sometimes I do something and am met with a shocking degree of success.
  97. People often value my opinion.
  98. There is always something new to boggle my mind.
  99. I've had uncounted wonderful experiences and I know many more are coming.
  100. As terrific as this life is, there's something much better waiting.

Update: Fixed a typo in #71. Life teaches me things. It does not reach me things.