‘I could tell you my adventures—beginning from this morning,” said Alice a little timidly; “but it’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.”
I’ve been writing the above quote (as well as this intro) for several years now, because it reminds me a lot of the live I’ve been blessed with.
At 30, I count myself a very (very) fortunate man. Life has provided me with a wealth of experiences that have far exceeded the ‘plans’ I laid out for my life as a younger man.
As I type this, I’m sitting in Hong Kong; awaiting a delayed flight. The disappointment of the delay is second place to the gratitude I have to be here in the first place.
A lot of things change with perspective, experience, and humility. When I left Ohio, I was determined to find wealth and success. I pictured myself driving a Lamborghini before the age of 35 and threw myself into ventures to achieve measures of success.
Yet, the wealth and prosperity didn’t come the way I anticipated. More often than not, I found myself learning many lessons that weren’t easy to go through.
I remember meeting somebody, in Texas, who inspired me to find gratitude in these moments of difficulty – or FGO’s, as I like to call them…
“F*cking growth opportunities”
The thing that changed my life the most was a conscious decision to be grateful what what I have – as well as the things I lack. Gratitude gave me the perspective to see the light at the end of the tunnel during moments that seemed hopeless.
Gratitude can turn any situation into a priceless moment.
In my case, my 20’s taught me that no matter how far you go, the universe will provide you with the people, places, opportunities, and lessons that will nurture and grow you beyond your original expectations.
In closing, I’m reminded of a story my Mother once told me about her family:
As a child, she went to the local ice cream parlor with her siblings and parents. After being seated, her father asked the children what sort of ice cream they wanted.
“I want a vanilla ice cream come” she said.
“Dad, surprise us.” said the others.
When he returned to the table, he had one vanilla ice cream cone in his hand, with a tray full of sundaes in the other.
She got her ice cream cone, while the other siblings dove into lavish sundaes.
I think you understand the lesson of the story…
I hope that no matter where you are, you are able to find gratitude for your circumstances, situation, and life.
I don’t necessarily know what the future has in store for me. However, I can look at my life (at 30) and appreciate all that I’ve experienced, because each moment has been a priceless step in this journey we call “life”.
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
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