“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues but the parent of all others.” – Marcus Tullius Cicero

I’m big into gratitude. So big into it, that sometimes I stupidly allow myself to feel entitled to gratitude from someone else for something I’ve done, leading me to question why I did it in the first place.

Entitlement, of course, is the opposite of gratitude. Nobody is really entitled to anything, even gratitude from others. Entitlement destroys your ability to appreciate, which is almost a crime in a time when our world overflows with reasons to be grateful.

In that spirit, this is a good time of year to very intentionally pause and be grateful. Every year, sometime during the Thanksgiving weekend, I like to revisit my favorite Ted Talk which I’ll share with you here. I urge you to invest a few minutes to watch it: Ted Talk on gratitude

The simple and beautiful words of the monk in the last part of the video remind us of the blessings we receive every day that we too often take for granted. To paraphrase his words, often the only appropriate response is gratefulness. And yet, we (I) often respond in other ways.

So, let’s turn that on its head and cultivate a little gratitude.

  • To our clients, thank you for the opportunities you share with us, and for the appreciation you express for our efforts. We appreciate the relationships we have with you.
  • To our suppliers, thank you for reliably helping us achieve our aims. We appreciate the hard work you put in to make our work lives easier.
  • To the entire Pendant team, thank you for making our work together fun and rewarding. We are growing something special together, and it’s a blast.
  • To our families, thank you for your love and support. None of us could do what we do without it.

So here’s to a great finish to the year for all of you! Be sure to fill it with thankfulness.

 

Hey Pendant, here’s something for you to be thankful for