How to Thank Hashem for 100 Things a Day

Many of you probably know that over at K'ayal Ta'arog, the English site for Rav Ofer Erez, they've been encouraging us all to say "Thank You, Hashem!" for 100 things a day.

They suggest doing this for 40 days, thereby accumulating 4000 thank-you notes to God for your own merit and National merit.

But you can also do this for one day or forevermore.

Sometimes, it seems hard to think of 100 things or to avoid repeating the same 100 things every single day. (Although thanking Hashem for the same 100 things over and over also has its merits, seeing as we never tire of thanking Hashem for "hamotzi lechem min ha'aretz" or for creating the fruit of the vine/borei pri hagefen).

And remember:

Thanking Hashem for things you don't like is an immensely powerful act of emuna.

It acknowledges that everything Hashem does is really for the good and for our best benefit even when it feels bad and to our detriment. It understandably feels that way at times, but in the scheme of things, it's actually beneficial and we'll only be able to understand it in the World to Come.

Categorizing Your Gratitude for Easier Focus

Anyway, when listing 100 things becomes too much of a challenge, it helps to think according to categories.

A category can consist of 5 or 10 or 20 things, whatever works for you.

For example, you can decided to make a list of 20 organs and body parts for which you're grateful, and then a list of 20 people for which you're grateful, and then a list of 10 colors for which you're grateful.

And that completes half your list of 100 right there.

So here are some more ideas for categories:

"Thank You, Hashem, for...":

• People (family, friends, rabbis, famous people, including people who passed away)
• Colors
• Body parts and internal organs
• Food
• Drinks
• Vegetables
• Fruits
• Nature (woods, sea, pebbles, flowers, bushes, etc)
• Animals
• Office supplies
• Things you like about your life
• Things you like about yourself
• Things you don't like about your life
• Things you don't like about yourself
• Cleaning supplies (window cleaner, upholstery spray, vacuum cleaners, bleach, etc)
• Electrical appliances
• Different forms of transportation
• Specific qualities you like about people you know
• Specific qualities you don't like about people you know
• Music
• Rabbis & Rebbetzins
• Books
• Clothes
• Anything else you can think of
  

How the Negatives Flip to Positive with Gratitude

Remember, listing things you don't like is actually a positive here and can even lighten that judgement or make it disappear completely. (It can do that, it can even do it immediately, but there are no guarantees. It depends what Hashem decides as best for you.)

For example, just listing stuff you hate about your life or people you know is really negative and impacts you negatively.

But saying, "Thank You, Hashem, that my baby is so relentlessly colicky. Thank You, Hashem, that my wife is so short-tempered when she's pregnant -- throughout the ENTIRE pregnancy! Thank You, Hashem, that my husband embarrasses me in public. Thank You, Hashem, that my child is so chutzpadik. Thank You, Hashem, that I am so greedy"... this actually is a good thing.

This is a tremendous act of emuna even if you don't actually FEEL grateful for the negative thing.

Well, that's some of what helps me when I have hard time coming up with all 100. There is so much to be grateful for, whether good or bad, it's not so hard to come up with 100. (It just sounds like a lot.) But there are days when it is really difficult to make it to 100. And that's totally normal.

If there's something that helps you make it to 100, please leave it in the comments so we can all benefit from your strategy.

Thank you!

May all judgements be sweetened.

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Related links:
First Emuna, Then Understanding
Day #14: Forming a Relationship through Gratitude
What to Say to God in the Toughest Times
What is the Main Purpose of Your Existence?