Thankfulness is a state of mind
I recently heard a quote from a colleague—she said it came from Oprah Winfrey—that if you’re thankful for what you have, you’ll end up getting more, whereas if you concentrate on what you don’t have, you’ll never have enough. This really resonated with me, particularly with Thanksgiving upon us, as I sat down to put into words what I’m thankful for this year.
Whenever I’m feeling a bit down, I have a specific train of thought that I return to, again and again, that puts things into perspective. I think about how my loved ones and I have our health, which is automatically a key indicator of good fortune. Then I think about my wife—the best person I know—and how lucky I am to be married to her. I think about my wonderful family, including my dog, Wally, who, at one year, has finally settled down and become a good dog. (We weren’t quite sure there for a while.) I think about how I live in the United States and how I get to make a good living at what I believe to be the greatest place in the world. Pretty soon, all of those negative feelings are gone and I’m the most fortunate guy in the world.
This year I continue to be grateful for all of those things. I’m also grateful for the firm’s management team and its great leaders and staff. I’m thankful that we’re all on the same page, have the same core values, and that the difficult decisions we sometimes have to make aren’t morally difficult—that they’re governed by the overarching principles by which we operate. I’m grateful for our firm’s reputation. I was recently at a professional event, and one of the speakers was discussing iconic firms. He cited Plante Moran, saying he admired our effervescence and charismatic culture. It’s always gratifying—and humbling—to receive such praise.
Last but not least, I’m grateful to those of you who take precious time out of your day to read this blog. I’m always amazed to run into someone who references one of my posts.
What about you? What are you grateful for this Thanksgiving?
