Gratefully Yours, The Past.
It recently came to my attention that it was World Gratitude Day on September 21. This is one of those cultural milestones that simply wasn't on my radar until now.
Missing it this year got me thinking about missing it other years, and that got me thinking about missed opportunities to say thank you in general, and that got me thinking about...
(If you're an entrepreneur, you know how this goes.)
I realized as I rode the high-speed thought locomotive, that over the years I have bypassed about a million opportunities to express my gratitude.
Mindfully making daily gratitude lists, keeping gratitude journals, and embracing an "attitude of gratitude" is in popular practice now. Back in the day, not so much.
I don't know about you, but as a kid, I was simply more apt to take things for granted.
Missing it this year got me thinking about missing it other years, and that got me thinking about missed opportunities to say thank you in general, and that got me thinking about...
(If you're an entrepreneur, you know how this goes.)
I realized as I rode the high-speed thought locomotive, that over the years I have bypassed about a million opportunities to express my gratitude.
Mindfully making daily gratitude lists, keeping gratitude journals, and embracing an "attitude of gratitude" is in popular practice now. Back in the day, not so much.
I don't know about you, but as a kid, I was simply more apt to take things for granted.
So, assuming we we could reach back into the past and offer up our thanks, what would be on the list?
For me, something like this...
Thank you for:
Humble beginnings; and
Warm bed, hot food, and sparseness of spankings;
Books, in unlimited supply;
Sleepover parties and pajama days.
Impromptu cooking lessons, followed by compulsory cleaning lessons;
The parade of jokers, jesters, wizards and monks masquerading as teachers, siblings, relatives and friends.
And also:
Thanks for the life lessons, easy and hard. They made me better.
On the flip side, a good question might be: What would the past thank you for?
Something like this, perhaps...
Dear Future;
Thanks so much for growing up and giving me some perspective.
See you later.
What would your 'making up for past ingratitude' list look like? What would your past thank you for?
For me, something like this...
Thank you for:
Humble beginnings; and
Warm bed, hot food, and sparseness of spankings;
Books, in unlimited supply;
Sleepover parties and pajama days.
Impromptu cooking lessons, followed by compulsory cleaning lessons;
The parade of jokers, jesters, wizards and monks masquerading as teachers, siblings, relatives and friends.
And also:
Thanks for the life lessons, easy and hard. They made me better.
On the flip side, a good question might be: What would the past thank you for?
Something like this, perhaps...
Dear Future;
Thanks so much for growing up and giving me some perspective.
See you later.
What would your 'making up for past ingratitude' list look like? What would your past thank you for?
