Life can be filled with many chaotic and stressful moments. Our setbacks can make us feel like we’re losing everything we have. No matter what hardship you’re facing, looking at the many blessings we have can change our perspective on our lives. When you count your blessings, you don’t need to ignore what’s bothering you or not going well. But it gives you an aim of appreciation regardless of the life challenges you face and the obstacles you’ll need to overcome. In this article, we’re going to share 10 ways to count your blessings.
10 Ways to Count Your Blessings
1. Family
In the area of family life, you can count your blessings for all the joyful moments you’ve created with your family. From family gatherings during holidays to birthday party celebrations, your family has been there for you through it all. You might have bonded with some family members more than others, cherish those moments. You can continue to count your blessings every time you spend time with family members, chat with them, invite them over for coffee and tea, and be grateful that they’re in your life today. Here are a few examples of how you can count your blessings when it comes to matters of family:
- The unique bond you have with various family members
- The memories you’ve made during family gatherings, special occasions, and events
- The highs and lows you’ve lived together
- The delicious recipes and meals you’ve had together at family potlucks
- The people who shaped who you are today
- The community you’re surrounded by due to the network of your family
- New family members like children, spouses, and even pets you’ve had an opportunity to meet
- The protection you’ve had
- The support you’ve gotten from loved ones over the years
- Being understood by people who have similar life experiences to you
- Family who’ve helped you out during times of need
- Holiday and birthday cards and gifts you’ve received over the years
- Memories of laughter over a kitchen table
2. Health
One of the many blessings you should count are those related to your health. When you’re young, you feel invincible, like you could never get hurt or sick. However, accidents happen all the time. And failing to take care of yourself when you’re young could cause illness as you get older. Investing in your mental and physical health is always a good idea. People will trade anything for their health back when they get sick, especially money. So, prioritizing your health is more important than prioritizing your wealth. Here are a few health blessings you can count:
- Being able to move freely
- Being cancer-free
- Having the energy to do activities you love
- Having all of your mental faculties in tip-top shape
- Access to medication and medical care as needed
- Access to food and water to nourish our bodies
- Clean blood tests with no issues
- Fixable health challenges
- Family members to care for you when you’re sick
- Signs of aging which show you’ve lived a long life
- A working body
- Fresh air that fuels our body
- Living in a sanitary location
- Sunshine that loads us up with vitamin D
3. Money
We say money makes the world go round, and it’s true that while it’s not the most important part of our lives, it does play an active role in it. Knowing where your next dollar is coming from is one way to count your blessings. However, even during periods of high inflation, a recession, a job layoff, there are plenty of ways to make money to support yourself financially. Striving to earn more money to pay bills, put food on the table, and cater to your family’s wants and needs is part of life. Here are a few ways to count your blessings in terms of money:
- You have a part-time or full-time job to help you pay bills
- You own a side hustle that earns some money online
- You earn active income from freelancing
- You’ve been given money from friends and family during hardships
- People have gifted you money on holidays or birthdays
- You have money in your bank account
- You have no credit card debt
- You’ve saved enough to buy a property
- You live in a country where there are many job opportunities
- You’ve invested money into your retirement
- You have an emergency fund
- You’ve paid off a huge chunk of your home
- You’ve earned money from high interest
- Your property and assets have increased in value
4. Friendship
Those with many friends will have many blessings in their life. The friends you have throughout your life will be there with you during life’s highs and lows. They’ll surprise you with kind gestures, shower you with love, celebrate your favorite moments, and help you when you need it. Being a good friend to them is also an honor in itself too. Learning how to love your friends when you’re young will teach you how to love your spouse as you grow older. The life lessons you gain from friendship are one of the many blessings that you have. Here are a few ways to count your blessings through friendship:
- You have a good group of friends
- You can trust your friends with your secrets
- Your friends showed up to your special events
- Your friends have made you feel good about yourself
- Your enemies turned into friends
- You have someone you call a best friend
- You’ve made new friends in the past year
- You cherish memories, road trips, and life milestones with people you care about
- You’ve had heart to hearts with friends
- You’ve laughed til it hurt with a friend
- Your friends have supported you during dark times
- You’ve had the same friend for over ten years
5. Life
In life, you’ll experience many blessings. Some come in the shape of your career or personal development, but others don’t fit into any other box than the box of life. If you’re looking to count your blessings in your life, here are a few to look at:
- You live in safe community
- You can trust that the justice system works
- Technology has changed your life for the better
- You’ve overcome poverty
- You have a comfortable bed to sleep in every night
- You’ve been given opportunities
- You’ve taken the scenic route
- You have close access to amenities in your area
- You’ve experienced entertainment
- You’ve had people tell you the truth, even when difficult
- People have believed in you
- You’ve had many great teachers, even outside the classroom
- You have a warm shower every night
- You have access to a library
- You know how to read and write
- You’ve been moved by a great song
- You have internet access
- You’ve enjoyed a good vacation
- You have time to relax
6. Personal development
As time passes, you should get better with time. Improving over time comes from concentrated effort through reading educational books, spending time with good people, and learning from past mistakes. The goal is to get better as you gain more life experience and interact with more types of people. You can count your blessings in the many ways you’ve developed personally over the years:
- You’ve read countless books that shaped who you’ve become
- You’ve invested in your education beyond school
- You’ve watched educational videos or podcasts
- You’ve completed an online course
- You know how to communicate in more than one language
- You’re not the same person you were five years ago
- You spend your time with quality people
- You’ve hired a coach to improve your mind, career, or finances
- You’ve considered someone else’s perspective even if it differs from yours
- You learned valuable lessons at your rock bottom
7. Mental/Emotion
In your life, you’ll go on an emotional journey. There will be highs and lows that shape you become. Learning during the lows will help shape better highs in your future as you’ll make better decisions moving forward. The mental aspect of life can be challenging, especially when connected directly to your brain. Most of your life experience will depend on the quality of your thoughts. Here are a few ways to count your blessings in terms of mental or emotional aspects:
- Your mental health is good
- You’ve evolved emotionally over time
- You’ve been forgiven by people you’ve hurt
- You’ve cut out toxic people from your life
- You didn’t give up during life lessons
- You’ve overcome obstacles and stressful life events
- You’ve taken up a meditation practice with Declutter The Mind
- You’ve healed from traumas
- You’ve worked through difficulties in therapy
- You’ve resolved difficult relationships with family members
- You’ve experienced happiness in your life
- You know how to calm yourself down
- You have a good support system
- The way you think and view the world has improved with time
- You’ve learned from past mistakes
- You’ve invested in your mental health and wellbeing
- You have access to medication or supplements to support your wellbeing
- You practice self care ideas
- You’ve formed good habits to improve yourself
- You eat a high (healthy) fat diet to fuel your brain
8. Career
Your career is a life-long journey that will fulfill your emotionally, personally, and financially. While making money is likely the number one reason why we accept job opportunities, you can count your blessings for many other things that a career offers you in life. Here are a few of the many blessings a career offers:
- You’ve gained an education or learned new things from your job
- You have a paying job
- You’ve built a business
- You have a 401k or retirement plan
- Your coworkers have helped you grow
- You’ve had fun at work
- You do work you love
- You’re proud of the positive impact your job has had for others
- You’ve saved time working from home
- You work at a company with good benefits and perks
- You’ve received multiple pay raises
- You have many great clients that you work with
- You’ve had someone cover your shift when sick
- You’ve had good job security
- You’ve grown in your career
- You’ve advanced in your career
9. Relationships
The romantic relationships in your life guide you towards the path of meeting the right person. Those who count their blessings will appreciate all past relationships that lead them to the one they spend their life with. In romantic relationships, you’ll experience many blessings, such as love, growth, and a new family. Here are a few ways to count your blessings when reflecting on relationships:
- Your failed relationships have taught you something
- You’re happy in your current relationship
- You learned how to find love
- You’ve built a family with your spouse
- You have someone by your side through life’s challenges
- You complete your partner’s sentences
- You have someone who helps around the home
- You have someone who is excited to see you every day
- You have someone to share your life with
- You’ve had a beautiful wedding
- You’ve had fun on dates
10. Material
While material possessions are at the bottom of the priority list, they’re also an indicator that our needs for wants and desires are met. The ability to buy nice-to-haves rather than just necessities is an indicator that we’re doing well in life. So, if you’ve been wondering about material possessions that bring many blessings, here are a few ways to count your blessings for material goods:
- You live in a home
- You have furniture
- You own the latest fashion
- You own a car or mode of transportation
- You’re connected to others via your phone
- You own a heater and air conditioner
- You have an endless collection of books
- You own a laptop or computer
- You have comfortable shoes
- You have glasses to see
- You own a musical instrument
- You have art on your walls
- You have access to sporting equipment
- Ability to eat at restaurants
- Freedom to travel the world
Conclusion
Not every aspect on this list will apply to you. But hopefully, you’ve found many blessings in this article that you’ve personally experienced or hope to experience one day. Shift your perspective to count your blessings as often as you can. People who view the world from an optimistic lens, tend to have more good things happen to them only because they realize it when it’s happening. By counting your blessings, you can realize how fortunate you are, have been, and will be in your life.
