Thinking about my recent post on how normal everything has become, I realize that I should be more grateful for just that. Sitting here on my balcony in Kauai at the Commonwealth President’s Club conference, I certainly have other things to be grateful for as well.
Some time ago, I wrote about the practice of daily gratitudes, and how they can lead to greater contentment and happiness. As part of my job, I tend to focus on what might go wrong, on the downside, on things to worry about. It’s worth taking time every day to instead look around and consider how many things are going right.
Here are some of my gratitudes today:
My family. First and foremost,I’m grateful for my wife, a wonderful spouse and mother; my son, who is (almost always) a joy; my parents and in-laws, who are healthy and happy; and my sister and her family. When it comes to family, I couldn’t be any luckier.
My friends. Family isn’t restricted to blood kin, of course. People whose lives you share, whose joys and sorrows move you, are also a part of your heart. I’m incredibly lucky to have an amazing group of friends.
My colleagues and company. One of the great pleasures of my work is associating with a group of exceptional people, many of whom I’d also include in the previous category. Commonwealth has outstandingly smart people at all levels, both staff and advisors, and I’m privileged to learn from them every day. Not many people can say they work with the absolute best, but I can.
My career. Someone once said that if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life, and I’m living proof of that. Reading, thinking, solving problems, helping our advisors help their clients—this is what I do.
My country. Certainly the U.S. has its problems, but for all its faults, it remains the best place in the world in almost all respects. That doesn’t excuse us from making it even better, but I can think of nowhere else I’d rather be.
As usual, I could keep going, but you get the idea. I hope that everyone reading this feels just as blessed as I do, although perhaps in different ways.