Is There Only So Much?

I had a conversation with a gentleman today about gratitude and he asked if he could shake my hand. Of course I obliged, but while shaking my hand he said, "You're a better man than me. There's only so much I can be grateful for."

An inspiring response failed to manifest itself and the gentleman walked away seemingly aware of something that he would rather not share. Well beyond his prime but nonetheless gregarious, there was a polite cynicism; a distrust in my passionate belief in the power of gratitude. He smiled at me as if I were naive. Perhaps he was kind enough to save any words of wisdom that might undermine my enthusiasm or perhaps not, instead leaving me to discover in my own time an awakening that would ultimately see me become just as cynical.

Needless to say, his response left me questioning what people are truly grateful for and how, over the course of a lifetime, does gratitude really play out. The sum of this man's reality, whatever that reality may be, has given him reason to deliberately limit that which he is grateful for. Even if his statement was made in jest, his words left a lasting impression. 

To say there is something wrong with his allocation of gratitude is asinine. To each their own. But how many people out there--all over the world--feel or believe that there is only so much to be grateful for? Does transcending the limitations of our ability to appreciate require more time, effort and energy than many or most can spare? Do less than ideal or perhaps even terrible circumstances warrant a cap being placed on what we are or should be grateful for? Is it perhaps just an aspect of the human design to enable and accept some ingratitude in response to life as we individually experience it?

Answers to these questions may elude me forever, but this I am certain of: being grateful is a personal choice of which the limitations are solely controlled by us as individuals. External influences can be used as an excuse but the measure of a persons expressed gratitude is completely hinged upon how compelled you are to give thanks for what you are, what you have, what you have experienced and the life you live.

Be as grateful as you want to be or perhaps not. You are free to believe and behave as you chose. But know that life is better when gratitude is expressed and there are no boundaries inhibiting that gratitude from permeating the world around you.

"Life Happens" Out of Context: Why We Should Still Be Grateful

As a huge fan of music from almost every conceivable genre, I am usually draw to any song with a positive message or good mood-inducing melody.  

"Life Happens" from artists Brandon and Leah is a great track, but the video did an even better job of distracting me from the message. Brandon, who happens to be the son of once famous athlete, Bruce Jenner, who is married to Kris Kardashian, matriarch of the reality TV clan, has admirable intentions. In doing a some PR for his new single, his message on The Huffington Post was very in tune with what Grateful Brand represents and stands for.

Brandon writes, "I believe the only thing that we really have control over is our attitude. If we focus on the positive things in our lives and learn how to cope with all the surprises, we will be happier people. Happiness is contagious. I focus on love and gratitude for all things on this beautiful planet and beyond. We can bring positive energy into our daily lives by smiling more, talking to strangers in line, replacing handshakes with hugs, and calling our friends just to tell them we love them."

Hats off to you, Brandon, for articulating nothing but good stuff. But half way through the video, one blaring question was beating on the door of needing an answer.

"Whose life is this?" Once I realized the source--Brandon and Leah--and their long list of industry ties, the pieces fell into place.

I have never uttered the phrase, "Life happens," while taking a leisurely stroll, or while cruising around in my car just for the sake of enjoyment, or while on vacation. For me, "Life happens" is always apart of a larger, survival based, phrase.

"Life happens. You deal with it, you overcome, and you move on."

Again, Brandon and Leah have produced a great song with a fantastic message of being grateful and happy in spite of whatever may come and I applaud them for it, but their video does not reflect the life that is happening for most of America today and the vast majority of the worlds population.

I don't know where Leah comes from, but Brandon has lived a life of exceptional privilege. You can Google him and discover that life has been happening very well for him since he was born. He has been featured on MTV's reality show Cribs, which showcases the lavish homes and automobiles of celebrities and athletes, twice.

Brandon should never make any apologies for being who he is or for having means, but his video is not the life that is happening for most of us. Most of us have a lot less to be grateful for, have lived through greater struggle and have fought harder for our day to day survival.

Brandon has had more than most will ever have an opportunity to be grateful for. In addition to producing such life affirming songs and music videos, I would like to see him go to India or Guatemala or to people in America who have being struggling to find work and share stories of how their lives are happening.

Nature's Details: Alien World

There are landscapes, plant species and wildlife that have existed for tens of millions of years in quiet, reclusive beauty, yet most of us will never take the time to study nor preserve them. Pictures simply do not do justice. The silence, the warmth, and slight breeze all must be experienced to truly appreciate such an alien world.

May "The Force" Be With You

This is NASA's latest image of the Blue Marble, better known as Earth. Considering how many thousands of miles away the telescope that took this beautiful image must have been in relation to its incredible detail, I find it easy to lose five to ten minutes at a time staring. Just think of how small and insignificant we are to the size and life span of our planet. Our existence will be but a blink when all is said and done. Consider how small Earth is in relation to our solar system, the Universe, and what ever may be beyond that. It's all so fascinating yet mind boggling at the same time.

Consider now the invisible forces that make it all possible: gravity, magnetism, perhaps even other forces we have yet to discover. 

I'm no physicist or astronomer, but I do think it's incredible that the Universe and its contents are pushed and pulled, spun, expanded and contracted all due to forces that we cannot see, but that we know exist.

Think, now, of love, compassion, kindness and gratitude. Is it too far fetched to think of these as "forces," pushing and pulling, spinning, expanding and contracting the human race and how we treat one another? Like magnetism, for every positive there must also be a negative such as hate or intolerance.

Call me a nerd if you must, but I like the idea of wielding a special power, the fantasy of "The Force." The difference between me and Yoda though, is that I don't need a light saber or a laser gun and I have no intention of fighting any epic battles.

All I have is love, compassion, kindness and gratitude: my arsenal for combating all the negativity that wants to rain down on me and those I care about. You'd be amazed at how powerful you can feel when you're able to stand unwaveringly firm in the face of negativity if you believe in the power you have within you to defeat it. 

Think of Gandhi for instance. Surely he would find this hypothesis of force very appealing, if he hadn't already thought of it himself.

Appreciating Life's Obstacles

You must read, you must persevere, you must sit up nights, you must inquire, and exert the utmost power of your mind. If one way does not lead to the desired meaning, take another; if obstacles arise, then still another; until, if your strength holds out, you will find that clear which at first looked dark.
- Giovanni Boccaccio


Take a good look at the picture above. It is a brilliant metaphor for life.

The seemingly endless tangle of vines and branches stretch forth to block the obvious path, but there is a distinguishable way out.

In spite of the all but clear path, look around. The daylight has not been filtered out, which means there are actually paths in every direction. Your path may be laden with every conceivable obstacle that the forest can muster in your way, requiring you to climb up, over, around and through the mess. Your path could also be quite unhindered, requiring you to merely crouch or crawl beneath the tangled maze into the clearing of success and happiness.

We all will face obstacles to varying degrees. Naturally, if your path is more cumbersome, you will have a greater sense of appreciation for where you've come from and the journey it took to get to where you currently are or are heading.

Regardless of your journey's ease or difficulty, be sure to look back at the woods with gratitude for the lessons learned, the goals you accomplished, the struggle you've overcome. Never let people demean this achievement.

The stage upon which you ultimately stand may be small in comparison to others who fared much better, but your quest to get there may have very well required ten times the effort. Be grateful for knowing that you have the capability to endure.


Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed.
- Booker T. Washington

The Folly of Entitlement

The general cry is against ingratitude, but the complaint is misplaced, it should be against vanity; none but direct villains are capable of willful ingratitude; but almost everybody is capable of thinking he hath done more that another deserves, while the other thinks he hath received less than he deserves.
- Alexander Pope

What do we deserve?

Yes, there are laws in place that entitle people to rights or property, etc. but what else are we truly entitled to?

A friend of mine works in entertainment and recently elaborated on the lavish gifts and services that are bestowed upon celebrities that he frequently works for. I discovered that the gift bags that every Oscars participant receives are worth tens of thousands of dollars. Of course, I would expect that giving away such merchandise to exceptionally public figures would serve to bolster brand exposure, thus being another facet of a companies marketing. But my friend shared that some of these celebrities become accustomed to not just occasional gift bags, but to every day life being nearly free of charge.

My friend shared that because of an elevated sense of entitlement, a few of the people he works for often decline to tip drivers, waiters or other service providers, expect complementary service at bars and restaurants, will seek free lodging throughout their various travels, will only support local manufacturers if their products are gifted, and feel that lines of any sort are beneath them. He shared more personal instances that were on the cusp of being absurd but he assured me that what might seem like an exaggeration of ones character and day to day life was actually a modest summary. In short, the concept of being grateful for all of the opportunities, experiences, luxuries and perks that have been afforded to these rather privileged individuals, is beyond their need of consideration. In their minds, this is the way their lives are supposed to be.

Thankfully he was only speaking of a handful of people.

I would be lying if I said that I have lived my life without ever feeling entitled to anything. Lets be honest, if you work hard for something and it happens to not come into fruition, it is easy to feel a sense of unjust deserve. However, reality for most of us dictates that nothing in life is free.

For what we do earn or simply receive, gratitude is a natural response because most of us have experienced what it is to be denied something we want.

With money, influence and power, entitlement may come as a byproduct, but living as though you are entitled to the life you live is a gross mistake.

We all aspire to live well and happily, but to forgo being grateful is doing yourself and the world a disservice and as you have received, it can all be taken away.

Gratitude According to Louie Schwartzberg

Louie Schwartzsberg is a brilliant man. This video beautifully captures the importance of being grateful and even if you've already seen it, the impact never wanes. I have been watching it at least three times a week since I discovered it and I continue to take away a renewed sense of appreciation.

What ever you happen to believe in or not believe in, do not let divisiveness prevent you from appreciating this message. This is for everyone.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.