Every year around Christmas, I try to be a better, kinder person.

Not that I don’t do this on a daily basis, but I really try to step up my game around the Holidays. I try to be less grumpy, less judgmental, and less impatient. I try to give more (whether it be to homeless people or charities), try to smile more often and I try to do what I can to brighten the days of others.

For me, Christmas and Yule and the Holidays are really about being thankful for what you have, being grateful for what you’ve been given and finding the small joys when you can. Christmas is about the giving and receiving of joy, about the giving and receiving of kindness (at least for me).

Sometimes, the joys may seem small, but each one is a gift that resonates and stays with you. I try to repay the world in kind by holding open the doors for others, saying thank you to my bus driver or someone else who might hold the door open for me.

In the end, it’s all about being thankful for what you have already, grateful for what you’ve been given and finding your own joy, no matter how small. To that end, here’s a short list of things to be Thankful, Grateful and Joyous for.

These are my lists, but it doesn’t mean that you can’t make your own. That way the small joys will be easier to spot!

All set? Here we go:

Things to be Thankful for

1 – A neighbor who held onto an expensive package for me when the postman left it on the wrong floor outside an apartment. (It was a limited edition, signed and numbered book! Gasp! More on this later!)

2 – My boss who brought me in Lip to Toe healing balm to help with my dry skin.

3 – A co-worker who got a cat toy for my cat Mave (who loves it!)

4 – Free chocolate (ALWAYs a plus)

5 – Getting my first work related certificate. Very awesome!

Things to be Grateful for

1 – My Sexy Boyfriend (who is beyond wonderful)

2 – My family (who I can’t wait to spend the Holidays with!)

3 – Mave, my cat, who is a constant source of comfort.

4 – Being able to work to pay the bills during the day and write in the evenings.

5 – A fancy new bag and new shoes (after all, one must always accessorize!)

Things to be Joyous for

1 – A new book by Darren Craske coming up (can’t WAIT to read Before His Time!)

2 – Reading two new books by Kelley Armstrong (Amityville Horrible, which is awesome AND Forbidden, which I’m waiting to read next.)

3 – Reading The Christmas Mystery by Jostien Garrder, one day at a time, until Christmas. It’s like a literary advent calendar!

4 – Being gifted with a reusable Kureg cup for the office coffee machine (less expensive than buying the coffee pods and better for the environment).

5 – Only a week till Christmas and only three days till Yule!!!!!

So go out there and find what joys you can, however small. When you do, then go out and spread your own joy to others. Yay for the Holidays!