When was the last time you felt grateful for something? I mean, truly grateful? To the point where you feel it in your gut? A moment of profound gratitude that hits you like a ton of bricks and you are just utterly humbled by and utterly thankful for something?
I had one of these moments today. I was not feeling my best and took it a little easy. My team and family rallied around me and took care of me. I am so unbelievably thankful for my life, family, and team. I am so grateful for the experiences I have had and where I am in my life today. I can not even fully express the gratitude I feel on paper.
I think one of the things that’s lacking in our society as a whole nowadays is gratitude. So many people feel entitled to things that they forget to be grateful. I do not believe this is something people have chosen to do consciously, but I do feel it is becoming an epidemic, especially in our younger generations. Perhaps it is technology and how quickly we are expected to respond to one another that we forget the everyday common courtesies that were so ingrained in my generation and the generations before me.
I’m truly not sure. I do know that I am working on instilling a sense of gratitude in my children. Teaching them to be thankful for everything that they have. Helping them to realize that nothing they have is a right; that everything they have truly is a privilege.
To be completely honest, I know that I fall into this lack of courtesy at times myself. There are times when I am too curt with people or lacking time to truly express gratitude to another person. However, how long does it take to say “Thank you” to another human being? A second or two? What are a couple of seconds out of our day to really acknowledge what someone else has done for us? And what may be a second or two for us may make all the difference in the other person’s day.
So, I want to take this moment and thank all of you. Thank you for taking the time to read my musings and for all of your feedback. Thank you for your support and your friendship. Thank you. You are all very important to me.
Live Life,
Bert Oliva