2016 has been one mofo crazy year. Not to mention that we still have the holidays to get through. I’m pretty sure we all agree that the everyday chaos makes it far too easy to get sucked into the negative and end up stressed out. STOP! All that mess is pointless. You’re alive! I’m alive! And considering every thought brings us to where are, we need to make sure we don’t forget to be thankful.

So as a reflection, here’s 10 things that we remind ourselves to be thankful for…

Health

Without your health you’ve got nothing going on. It’s easy to wake up and power through your day without stopping for a second to be thankful that you actually woke up. And that you’re healthy enough to race around like a maniac to get whatever you want to do today done. We need to pull the brakes on the bitching about things like having to go to work and be thankful that we’re able to be productive.

Freedom

You and I are living in a country where we literally can have and be whoever we damn well please as long as we work hard at it. Recognize the sheer number of opportunities you have and be thankful because it sure as heck isn’t like that everywhere in the world.

Second Chances

We all screw up from time to time but thank God for second chances. Sometimes you give them and other times you get them. No matter what end you fall on, how frickin’ lucky are we to get a second stab at something? Think Robert Downey Jr., without second chances we wouldn’t have Iron Man.

Access to Information 

Never in history have we had so much information available to us. It’s in our pockets and at our fingertips whenever we want it. From earthquake warnings to how to get rid of an annoying cough, if used correctly the power of it to improve our lives is huge. We’re particularly thankful for innovators like Alexander G. Bell and Tim Berners-Lee for making it all happen.

Thunderstorms

First of all, we need rain to grow our plants and trees and most importantly for our farmer’s crops. Secondly, thunderstorms create rainfall that gets rid of the pollution from the air. After it’s taken care of that, those raindrops flush the ground of accumulated waste and toxins. Thirdly, the trickle of raindrops and booming of thunder and lightning strikes makes us feel alive. Need more? It really makes you thankful for when the sunshine finally comes out. Who knew right? #thankful

Friends and Family

No doubt, through the ups and downs of life, without the support of our friends and family most of us would be SOL. Sure, we see them every day and sometimes they piss us off but relationships aren’t perfect. Be thankful that you have humans in your life who sometimes help guide you to the right path and stop you from making catastrophic mistakes. Be thankful you’ve got people to share meals, conversations and jokes with. Life would be so lonely without them.

Humanity

Look at us, we’re just a bunch of ghosts wearing meat jackets, riding on a huge rock flying through space at a ridiculous speed. Yet, we all have this connection to one another. You can be sure that it doesn’t matter which corner of the earth you’re at, there’s somebody out there willing to help you. Are there bad apples? Sure, but we choose to believe and be thankful that most people are good. Stupid (sometimes) but good.

Awareness

Self-awareness is a powerful tool. Just stop and think about how thankful you should be for fresh starts and the opportunity to work on becoming a better human every day. Self-awareness lets our otherwise rat racing, ladder climbing, Netflix numbing tendencies be balanced with some perspective and sanity. Be thankful for self-awareness, it’s where it’s at.

Failures

We’re not just taking about hard lessons. This one’s all about taking our failures and being thankful for the humbleness they pour on us. We’re down on our knees with gratitude for the experiences they create to make our lives worth living. Just like thunderstorms, they can hit you hard, but if you’re smart enough you’ll realize those crappy feelings don’t last. Ironically, those who don’t fail often have the hardest time getting back up when they do. On the flip side, the ones who get knocked out in the ring repeatedly develop a resistance that makes them unstoppable.