Recent Road Trip
A few months ago, I took a rare solo road trip to visit an old friend. I’ve always loved long drives—they offer uninterrupted time to reflect, free from life’s distractions. As a teen, I asked my mom for a Farrah Faucett poster. But instead, she gave me one with an Irish Proverb: “By all means take some time to be alone. See what thy soul doth wear”. In hindsight, her choice was wise. That quote has stayed with me, reminding me to treasure moments of solitude.
Gratitude Uncensored
A couple of hours into my drive, my mind gravitated to what I’m grateful for. Gratitude, whether spontaneous or intentional, always brings a feeling of happiness and peace. On this trip, I reflected on how much of my life— and the work I do with others—revolves around managing emotions. While we try hard to not let feelings spiral out of control, I realized there’s no reason to limit or suppress gratitude, so I allowed it to go and grow without restraint.
For hours, I fully immersed myself in gratitude, expanding it to its outer limits. The result was a profound, natural high— joyful tears, a lightness of being, and a deep thrill for life. If you’ve never experienced an unrestrained gratitude journey, I highly recommend it. It costs nothing but time and delivers a sense of deep joy and even euphoria.
Each Person Plays a Role
Gratitude for life’s basics— health, home, family, friends, and freedom— gave me a starting point for deeper reflection. I contemplated the improbability of knowing the people I have known. If you met three new people every day, by age 73 you’d only have met 80,000– less than 1 in 100,000 of the world’s population. Most of us only know 800 people by name— just one-10 millionth of the world’s inhabitants. With such a tiny fraction of humanity shaping our lives, it’s worth cherishing those who do.
With this perspective, I revisited the people who’ve played a role in my life. Starting from childhood, I replayed memories of teachers, neighbors, family and friends. Many I hadn’t thought of for years. Then came mentors, colleagues, and companions who helped shape my character. I focused on those who inspired, supported, and believed in me. Even those who brought pain were acknowledged without revision, as their lessons made me wiser. Each person, for better or for growth, contributed to the man I’ve become. I felt immense gratitude for the cast of characters who’ve made my life so rich with connection, love, and meaning.
Amor Fati
I recently came across a philosophy that beautifully compliments an attitude of gratitude— Amor Fati. Latin for “Love of Fate”, Amor Fati promotes fully accepting and even loving our life story, including the painful parts. It encourages us to embrace every experience— good and bad, mistake or success— with an all-embracing gratitude and an affectionate acceptance.
The past is unchangeable, except for how we choose to frame it. Gratitude for all that has shaped us requires maturity and a refusal to dwell in regret. Life is what it is, and the past is what it was. We cannot alter it, so why not embrace it as our life’s story, with dignity and gratitude. After all, it’s the recipe that created us— and hopefully we’ve grown to appreciate and accept who we’ve become.
Gratitude for Change
Marcus Aurelius observed that everything as it now exists is merely the seed or the start of what will eventually emerge. Life’s only constant is that things change. With change comes the chance to create the life we want, if it’s not how we are living right now. I’m grateful to have spent much of my life advocating for personal growth and positive change. My memories are filled with stories of people who overcame challenges and bettered their lives. While setbacks are inevitable, new situations hold hidden opportunities. Often, the hardest experiences we faced in life are the same moments when we grew the most. Having witnessed so much incredible change, I rarely believe people can’t change— only that they won’t. Gratitude for our capacity to change and for the opportunity to support change in others creates a profound source of fulfillment. Helping others in their quest to change reminds us of how interconnected we are, or can be, in life’s unfolding journey.
Grateful to be Alive
Of the 8.2 billion people living today, I’m just one tiny speck of sand amid the beach of humanity. Yet I feel thrilled to be alive. Some day my time will end. But for now, it’s my time to live the fullest life that I can.
Gene Simmons, the legendary rocker from KISS, was raised by his single mother who had survived the Holocaust. She taught him a simple truth: “Every day above ground is a good day”. That perspective resonates with me. Seeing children battling illness or hearing of lives cut short is heartbreaking, and reminds us how fragile life is. I channel that awareness into a profound gratitude for being alive—one that grows stronger all the time. This gratitude shapes each day of life, pushing me to not take even an hour for granted. I actively try to contribute to the happiness of those around me, and step aside if I am hindering their joy or progress. Gratitude for life fuels a motivation for personal fulfillment and effortful contribution to the happiness of others, making life deeply rich and purposeful.
Excitement for the Future
Our minds often wander to the future, hoping for what we want yet fearing that it might not happen as we wish. This attachment to future outcomes creates a lot of turmoil. When we embrace gratitude, make peace with our past exactly as it unfolded, and treat each day as an opportunity and a gift, we’re better prepared to welcome whatever the future has in store for us.
The best approach we can take is to give our full effort toward creating favorable outcomes while accepting whatever unfolds as the next chapter of our unique story. Worrying about the future often causes more pain than the future itself, and is rather futile. What we can control is our effort, our attitude, and acceptance of our life’s results. When the process is infused with gratitude, life genuinely can become a joyful journey— which ultimately is what we all seek.
