50 Amazing Things Worth Celebrating Every Day
By: Jason Gutierrez
Tags: Happiness, Gratitude, Growth, Life, Self Improvement

The other day I had a text conversation with a friend about Valentine’s Day. I said:

“I mean, I don’t make a huge deal out of it but it’s a good holiday to celebrate love”

She responded:

“Yea but shouldn’t you celebrate love every day?”

She was right. We SHOULD celebrate love every day. But we don’t, which is why holidays can be so important. Holidays are a yearly reminder to stop and celebrate special moments from your life as well as historical events of years past.

But holidays only come around once a year, and there are only 15 or so holidays (at least in the US) that we celebrate — and yes, I included your birthday. That means there are A LOT of things worth celebrating that get left out.

I’ve realized that when I stop and “celebrate” some of these things — which really just means pausing for a moment to practice gratitude for them — I feel a hell of a lot happier about my life.

And I’d bet that would be the case for you too.

Here are 50 things worth celebrating every damn day. Just because…

1. The fact that you are alive and breathing. Life’s one giant game of chance. Everything that you do involves some level of risk, which means that tomorrow, or at any given moment, you might no longer be alive and breathing. You don’t have to wait until your birthday to celebrate that you aren’t dead in a ditch today.

2. Our planet. It’s amazing that this ginormous ball of life, at the perfect distance from an even more ginormous ball of fire, exists in the universe. Celebrate the Earth and do something to protect it (recycle, don’t litter, plant a tree, etc.) today.

3. Nature and all its glory. It’s different wherever you go, and it’s always changing, but it will always bring you happiness if you pay attention to it.

4. Forging new frontiers. At some point today, you probably walked on ground you’ve never walked on before. Maybe it was an entirely new area, or perhaps just a small footprint on similar ground where you haven’t stepped before. Every moment of exploration is worth some gratitude.

5. The men and women who keep us safe. From parents, to older brothers and sisters, to friends, lovers, to law enforcement officers, and to those others who risk their lives and volunteer to serve and protect us. Thank you.

6. Your health. Every moment you spend in good health is honestly worth cherishing. Almost no one appreciates their health until they lose it. Then it’s all that matters.

7. The ability to exercise. If you can do it, you should and it’s worth celebrating. Exercise brings people together, makes you feel insanely good, and extends your life and improves the quality of that life. We were born to run. Don’t forget that.

8. A good stretch in the morning (or anytime, really). Holy hell it just feels so good.

9. The freedom to do whatever you want…within reason. Live within societal means and you can do some pretty weird shit if you really want to without having to worry about tyrant kings, being hanged, or guillotined in the town square.

10. Food. It’s only recently in human history that the masses have had access to such an abundance of food. I mean, it’s everywhere (in the US), and you’re free to get as fat as you want (though you shouldn’t). Plus, you can basically eat whatever type of diet that suits you.

11. Ice cream. Some of my best times as a kid were grabbing an ice cream cone with the team after a weekday baseball game. If you can handle the dairy without any problems, it’s hands down some of the best tasting food on the planet.

12. A plain ol’ cup of coffee. Arguably the best part of the morning for many. America’s favorite tonic for waking up and getting things done.

13. Breakfast aka everyone’s favorite meal. Eggs, sweet potato pancakes, fresh fruit, waffles, bacon. Put it all on my face…I mean my plate…and let me enjoy the hell out of it.

14. A roof over your head. Mom used to tell me this one a lot. “Jason, you should be grateful you even have a roof over your head.” She was right.

15. Climate-controlled homes. No matter what time of the year it is, your dwelling is always a comfortable 65–75 degrees. Another simple thing you take for granted until the A/C breaks in the summer or the heat stops working in the winter.

16. The study and application of meteorology. We know (with fairly high confidence) what ball park the weather is going to be in DAYS BEFORE IT HAPPENS. DAYS!

17. Water. Worldwide, 780 million people still live without access to a clean water supply. You get to flush your toilet as many times as you’d like and never have to worry about going thirsty.

18. Specifically, hot showers. The whole access to clean water thing is great, but hot showers? F*cking amazing. The water is HOT. And it feels damn good. Plus, you can shower in private and not in a wooden barrel bath tub in the middle of your cabin’s living room using the same water your six brothers and sisters used before you.

19. Using a bidet (if you never have, you should). Last one about water I swear. If you have hot water, you can dial it down just a bit to WARM water and spray it at your butthole. Because who doesn’t love a clean butthole and who wants to use trees to do it? (I just bought one recently, so I’m all about it.)

20. The clothes you’re wearing. Go anywhere, especially a crowded city, and you’ll see everyone wearing a myriad of different clothes and styles. Your choices are basically unlimited — better than choosing what loin cloth to wear in the morning, right?

21. Love. I mentioned it in the intro, but true love is special and should be celebrated daily. You don’t find it often. Couples that stay together for 10, 20, 50 years are incredible and many of them find small ways to show appreciation for each other often. Unless of course it’s a miserable relationship you’re just too afraid to leave. But don’t do that. True love is far better.

22. A rock-solid friendship. Romantic love isn’t the only love worth celebrating. I’d argue that the friendships you have, especially the good ones, are just as important. I’m talking a bromance or a gal friend who’s always there for you — who just gets you. And even when you’re apart, you come back together and pick up right where you left off. It’s easy. And it’s the best.

23. Family. If you got a good one, cherish it. Not everyone is as fortunate. And if you don’t, find or make your own.

24. A co-worker who makes work bearable. Enough said.

25. Great big bear hugs. Hot damn they feel good. Some of the best hugs I get are from my dude friends. Celebrate the hug. Everyone loves ‘em.

26. A laugh so good it hurts your abs. It doesn’t happen all the time, but when it does, I’m the happiest human on the planet. Watch more standup, celebrate your favorite comedians, have more laughs with friends. Whatever you need to do to appreciate laughter.

27. Sex. Worth celebrating any time it happens. Lots of people aren’t getting any — even when they’re in a relationship. So anytime consensual sex is on the table, you should appreciate it while it’s there.

28. The pets you have. They might be just another thing under your roof, but to them you’re all they have. You’ve decided to make a home for them and become their eternal master. Celebrate that relationship. Give them love and they’ll give it back tenfold.

29. Sports. You have access to play pretty much whatever sport you want, whenever you want. Or you can watch games on TV or attend in person. Sports have bonded civilizations together for centuries and the 2000’s are no different. We’re also in a time where athletes are constantly pushing the boundaries of human limits and setting new records and it’s honestly amazing.

30. A cold glass of seasonal beer. Or whatever alcohol tickles your fancy. Right up there with sports and world wars, few things have bonded societies together as much as alcohol.

31. Your favorite artists. Musicians make the songs you love. Writers write the books you get lost in. Armies of people create the movies you adore. These people are worth celebrating the joy they bring you on a daily basis.

32. Your favorite blogger. Speaking from the heart, your favorite bloggers — the one you resonate with the most — are worth celebrating too. They (we) get a lot of negativity from others who fail to see our perspective or from people just looking for a punching bag. Give them some words of encouragement and say “Hey, I like your writing. Keep doing it.”

33. Podcasting. Seriously. It’s like being a fly on the wall with some of the most interesting people on the planet.

34. Innovators. You. Yes, you. Get to sit on the couch and do nothing while other people solve complex medical problems and develop new technology to make your life easier and longer.

35. Entrepreneurs. Some of those innovators are savvy businessmen and -women. Yes they’re making boatloads of money, but the majority aren’t. Most are just looking for new ways to make your life easier and are taking great risks while doing so. All of the convenience we have today is because of these brave people, who don’t get nearly as much credit as they deserve.

36. This easy AF can-opener right here. One of the cheapest, best gifts I’ve ever received. I’m a degenerate when it comes to using the hand can openers, and the electric plug-in ones just seem overbearing. But this thing is worth every damn penny. (Whoa, look out! That link to Amazon is an affiliate one — because trust me, they’re worth.)

37. The beauty of engineering. Physics and chemistry are the studies of how the world works. Engineering is applying those studies to keep your coffee hot and your lunches cold at affordable prices. Just because you don’t understand it doesn’t mean it’s not absolutely amazing.

38. Modern transportation. You can travel more mileage in a day than your ancestors could travel in a month, sometimes in a lifetime.

39. Eyeglasses. Thank God survival of the fittest isn’t really a thing anymore because I would’ve been fucked a long time ago due to my eyesight. Luckily, eyeglasses are readily available and affordable to just about everyone. So at least now I can see the grizzly bear coming to maul me before I die a swift death.

40. The internet. Tread across the surface or go as far down the rabbit hole as you want. The internet is full of infinite knowledge, free porn, and memes galore. Love or hate it, the internet is a once-in-a-millennium type invention worth celebrating.

41. Your favorite memes. I had to call this one out specifically. Memes are great. Memes are awesome. Memes are life.

42. Online streaming services. Because every day I don’t have to deal with Comcast or AT&T cable TV is a fucking win.

43. Laptops. You can work and connect with others from almost anywhere on the planet. I started this article at a local coffee shop downtown. Today, I’m writing this at the Panera down the street. Tomorrow? Who knows!

44. Your phone. If we’re eternal masters to our pets, then we’re for sure eternal slaves to our phones. Even though I hate it most of the time, it keeps me in communication with the world and offers limitless knowledge at the tip of my fingers and thumb.

45. The camera you take with you everywhere. Phones have given you the wonderful benefit of having a camera wherever you go. You don’t have to sit for hours in misery just to capture a moment like in the Picasso days. You can “snap” a photo and spend the rest of the time enjoying the view.

46. The global position system you also take with you everywhere. That’s G.P.S. for those that don’t know. I grew up in the days of AAA TripTiks and Mapquest. Make a couple wrong turns and you’re fucked unless you had a map. But I guess that was still better than using the sun and stars like our ancestors had to do. Today, you never have to get lost (unless your phone runs out of battery).

47. Dating apps. Yes, even Tinder. You can meet the love of your life (or the love of your next week) without having to leave your couch. Many people who otherwise wouldn’t have been able to find love are able to find it.

48. Creative outlets. Thanks largely to the internet, you can make it in this world without ever having to go to college through the education and endless opportunities provided by platforms like youtube, twitch, tiktok, medium, and many others. It’s incredibly easy to express yourself and share your creativity with others. Human beings were born to create.

49. Modern video games. We’ve come a long way from pong. Though video game addiction can ruin lives and devastate relationships, they also create opportunities for life-long friendships (like this guy here), and grant opportunities for nerds to bond like they never would’ve before. Plus, they’re super fun and teach you a surprising amount of useful life skills.

50. Modern medicine. Yes, healthcare in America is a problem and insulin is still far more expensive than it should be. But the fact that we largely don’t have to worry about a cough ending our lives is pretty incredible.

51. Whoa, what?! 51? What a treat. Celebrate the fact that you had the time to read (or skim through) this entire article and pick out a few things that might (edit — definitely will) make you happier.