Gratitude (14/30)
A thankful post.
After finishing last night’s post, I had the thought that it might be a good idea to write about gratitude today. I’m about halfway through this 30-day effort, and there’s much to be grateful for. I then received a call this afternoon that brought to my attention some really important things that I’ve been taking for granted.
It appears that the universe agrees that gratitude would be a good topic for today.
First of all, I’m grateful to all of you who actually take the time to read these posts. It means a lot. I know there are countless things that are worthy of your time and attention, and it’s really cool that you include these ramblings on that list.
I’m also really grateful for my friends. Publishing daily presents two main challenges: coming up with topics to write about and maintaining consistency when life gets in the way. This weekend, I ran into obstacles on both of these fronts.
A good litmus test for the quality of your friendships is whether those closest to you make it easier or harder to do the things that you want to do, regardless of whether it’s convenient or preferable for them. I can unequivocally say that my friends actively and intentionally make it easier — and that’s amazing. When it got late into the day this past weekend and I was struggling to land on a topic, my friends proactively turned the conversation to brainstorming ideas and sharing things that might be interesting to explore. When nightfall came and I didn’t particularly feel like writing, those around me made me stick to my commitment even though it meant that I’d be staring at my computer screen instead of engaging with them.
Without my friends, I very likely would not have kept up this daily streak. Not everybody is lucky enough to have people around them who enable their aspirations, however ridiculous they might be. I am that lucky, and I’m thankful for it. This also serves as an important reminder for me to make sure that I am being that person for my friends as well.
Finally, I’m beyond grateful for my family. This could be a very long post all by itself given that I hit the absolute jackpot when it comes to kin; I’ll try to be succinct.
I have reached a point where many of my dreams have come true. It felt surreal to type that, but it’s true. I work for myself, write stuff on the internet, and generally get to decide how I spend my time. As I look back on the path that led here, it’s mind-blowing to see just how impossible this would have been without the seemingly endless list of things my family did to provide constant support and continually keep me from getting in my own way.
My Dad passed down his (very Greek) drives toward entrepreneurship and independence. A phenomenal entrepreneur in his own right, he has the sharpest business mind of anyone I know and a keen ability to see right through complex issues. He also possesses a clever sense of creativity that is invaluable for both problem-solving and generating new ideas. Given all of this, having him as the Chairman of the Board of my entire adult life has quite literally changed everything. We have had countless conversations that have fundamentally shaped everything I’ve done and directly led to where I am today.
My Mom gave me her curiosity. She possesses an incredible amount of emotional intelligence and open-mindedness, and anyone who has met her can attest to how deeply she cares about other people. It’s clear that she has largely inspired this writing endeavor. I’ve always felt a freedom to explore and pursue anything that seems interesting, and this is mostly because of her. I’m extremely grateful for the character traits that she has exemplified so well.
Growing up, I always wanted to be like my sister. While it turns out that I am neither smart enough nor pragmatic enough for that to be the case, I still get the privilege of calling her my sister. She has been an incredible role model and supporter throughout my life, and we’ve maintained our close relationship the entire time. This is something to be very grateful for.
As a whole, my family’s boundless and unconditional love and support have changed my life beyond measure. We all have moments in our lives where things could have taken a turn for the worse were it not for the help of loved ones. I’ve had more of those moments than I’d like to admit, and my family has always been there to help. Not everyone is lucky enough to say that. It’s difficult to put this kind of gratitude into words.
This was obviously a very personal post, but beyond serving as a journal entry of sorts, my hope is that it accomplishes two things. First, I want those of you whom I referenced to know that I’m deeply grateful for you. Second, I hope that this inspires you to consider some of the things and people for which you’re grateful.
It’s remarkable how gratitude can provide such a lift to the spirit. We all know this, and yet it’s so easy to forget. An added bonus is that it reminds us of how we can be better ourselves — the kind of person people are grateful for. This is certainly at top of mind for me after writing this.