The Grateful Dad: 10 Things To Be Grateful For — Two Guys Who Blog
By: Two Guys Who Blog
Tags: Dadlife, Dads, Gratitude, Parenting, Fathers Day

I’ve discussed before how to become more grateful but I thought this was a good time to look at what we should be grateful for as dads. It’s easy to get bogged down in the daily grind of life and complain about everything that is going wrong. Sometimes it helps to stop thinking about what you don’t have and start looking at all you do have and be grateful. Not to sound morose but there are certain times in life when you realize this more than others.

10 Things to be grateful for as dads

Family

Your family unit is the single most important thing in your life and should always come first over all others. Spend time with your loved ones and let them know how you feel about them. Those lucky enough to have a family should treasure the relationships between parents and children.

Friends

A good group of friends can make a world of difference in a person’s life. Friends offer you a built-in support group and sounding board. They motivate and push us to do better in our lives. I’m lucky to have surrounded myself and my family with a good group of neighborhood friends and close childhood friends that make us laugh and offer support when needed. There isn’t anything we wouldn’t do for our close friends.

Home

A roof over your head is something many people take for granted. A place to call home to relax, and gather with family and friends. Think of those who are in need and sleeping on the streets and be grateful for the warmth, security and comfort your home provides you.

Job

You may not be fond of your job and complain about going to the office each and every day but be thankful you are employed. Roughly 3.5% of Americans are unemployed at the time of writing this article so be grateful you are one who is working. Find something redeeming in your job that makes you happy…your co-workers, the pay, anything. If you can’t find any redeeming qualities begin to look elsewhere. The best time to job hunt is when you are currently employed.

Food

Hand in hand with a roof over your head is food on the table. The ability to feed your family is something to be grateful for. If you find yourself in a position to donate your time to a food bank do so. Also, look for ways to make meals for those less fortunate than you.

Health

Without good health everything else is for nothing. Unfortunately, there are many people who don’t take care of themselves and as a result, suffer from poor health. If you are a person in good health be grateful because many are suffering from chronic pain, breathing issues, etc. that inhibit their ability to function as a normal person. Always take care of yourself. We’re given one chance here so make the best of it. Every day that you wake up and can still move is a win.

Those who gave you a chance

Much of life is what you make it but there are times in all our lives when someone steps up and gives us a chance. It could be a boss at work who believed in you enough to give you a chance or a police officer who didn’t arrest you as a child when you swiped that comic book but instead let you go. Be grateful for those in life who have believed in you, fought for you and gave you a chance.

Love

Love gives meaning to life, it helps shape you as a person. If you’re lucky in life to find someone who loves you and you love them back, hold on to them. If you’re in love let the person know and remind them constantly that you care and love them. No one can hear I love you enough.

“Who said life has got to be so cruel, Love’s the only rule” — Jon Bon Jovi

Laughter

Be grateful for the precious gift of laughter. It is the medicine that cures everything. No matter how bad of a day you’ve had a good laugh always snaps you out of the gloom. Learn to laugh at yourself and the situations occurring around you. There is nothing quite like laughing so hard that your cheeks and stomach hurt afterward. Listen to the laugh of a child to know how it’s supposed to sound.

Our Parents

The people who raised us should be held to a higher level. They’re the ones that helped mold us to become who we are today. The ones who instilled the values and morals we uphold to this day. I hope you’re lucky to still have both parents or guardians in your life or at least one. Call them and let them know how much you appreciate all they’ve done for you.

As dads, we have plenty to be grateful for if we just open our eyes and look around at what we have and not what we don’t. We’re given one chance at life so make the best of it, focus on the positives and live your best life.

What are you grateful for? Comment below and share us with a friend! For more on the difference between being Thankful and Grateful click here.