Thankfulness Project Monday

Most human beings have an almost infinite capacity for taking things for granted.  ~Aldous Huxley

For the most part, I think the above quote is very true. I think it's easy to focus so much on the negative aspects of our life that we forget to list the positive, or focus on the things that we have been given in life. How different would life be if we acknowledged the positive on a regular basis instead of just gripping about the negative? 

That being said, today I'd like to focus on some of the basic things of life that are easy to take for granted:

• The ability to pay for heat in the winter: I often complain about how cold it is in my house because I choose to keep the heat low to save money instead of choosing to feel grateful that I have the luxury to be able to afford heat at all. It's an easy thing to take for granted, but in the winter, it's important to have, and I'm much more comfortable on a daily basis. 
• Food in the refrigerator: It's SO easy to take basic foods for granted, isn't it? We often just reach into the frig and grab something to eat or, even worse, look in and complain that "there's nothing good to eat in here." Yikes! We have food in front of us, but it's easy to not be grateful for it. 
• A support system: I have people around me who love me, care about me, and would jump up to help if things went wrong. I'm grateful to each of them, and I know I don't say that enough. 
• My Co-workers: It's easy to just walk in to work and get started for the day, and not think much about the people that I'm surrounded with, especially because everything I do at work is by myself (or with clients). I'm thankful I have co-workers who I can laugh with, get advice from, and help make the days fly by.
• Fresh water: Pretty self-explanatory, huh? How often do we turn on the faucet to get a glass of water to drink while we're complaining? The fact that we can even get fresh, clean, safe water in our houses is amazing, yet that thought tends not to cross our minds. 

These are 5 things that I'm feeling incredibly grateful for this week. My goal for this week is to be grateful for these things whenever I want to grumble about being cold, when I open the frig, when I eat a snack, when i take a drink of water, or when I talk to someone on the phone or via text. 

Here's my challenge for you this week. Pick 2-3 things that are "everyday" little things in your life that are easy to take for granted. Focus on your gratitude for these things over the course of the week, and see what happens. 

Now it's your turn:

What are some of the "basics" of life that you are grateful for right now?