It goes without saying that gratitude is an amazing gift. The “quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness” is so very human. It’s a treasure bestowed upon us. For too long, I squandered it, focusing instead on what was wrong, what could be improved, where fault could be found. Such was the nature of a journalist paid to dig out “news” — most of it bad or controversial. It’s taken years to unlearn that trained mindset. Sure, the world today continues to have problems and we’ve many things to improve. But I must remember the good instead of instinctively zero in on the bad.
I’m very fortunate as I write this. An example: I used PTO and worked a half day today in a job I love that challenges me to bring my “A” game to the office. After lunch, I threw my leg over the top tube of a road bike and started pedaling east. Just like that, I was outside, under a blue sky, heading toward beautiful open country. As I hit the first sharp climb, every ounce of energy, every brain cell, every muscle fiber worked in unison to propel me upward. With each kilometer, the farther away from the noise, traffic and bustle of Southern California I went. As I reached the summit, another rider approached. We exchanged waves. Then… I realized. I knew him! What were the odds? We’d ridden many epic routes together. Good fortune had brought us together on this day. He had just improved his time on the difficult climb, and I now hoped to show him a few secret shortcuts to get down the backside of the hill. It was a chance to play tour guide and share some of what motivates me to be on the bike. At the end of our ride, we bade goodbye and agreed to spin in the morning early. I headed back to my office to clean up and then head home. Before I did, I had a chance to reflect and give thanks. I need to keep this list close by and remind myself. I’m thankful for:
- Family
- Health
- Friends
- Bikes and the amazing experiences they produce
- Art
- Humor
- The ability to learn
- The ability to grow
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