Being Grateful

What about Bob / Touchstone

Baby steps to happiness.

On a recent visit to New York, I was walking through the Flatiron District towards the Highline and I asked my friend, “Are you happy?” After a long pause, he responded with the cliché, “Yeah, but, I wish…”

For some odd reason, his (very common) response stopped me mid-step, and he abruptly stopped as well. For the New Yorkers reading, you know what happened next. The flock of people around us began to curse us for slowing the foot traffic.

I don’t know what came over me, but I just stared at him,”We have too much to be thankful for to say ‘but.’” I grinned at him and he looked back at me knowing that I had, yet another, idiotic idea. I proposed that we should say something we’re thankful for as we take each step.

At this point, I was confident he was going to laugh, say “go f— yourself” and continue walking; but, to my amazement, he played along.

We took a breath, veered back in to the foot traffic and he started: “I’m thankful that I have legs that work.”

“I’m thankful that I’m breathing and my heart is beating.”

“I’m thankful for my wife and two healthy children.”

“I’m thankful for friends that accept my insanity.”

This continued,and we couldn’t stop laughing. Partially because it was an embarrassing display, and the act made it obvious how much we had to be grateful for. It was a euphoric experience and we stopped at the intersection after our adventure down a long block whimsically bantering back and forth.

At the intersection, after the laughter (and embarrassment) died off, I said, “When we cross the intersection, we should do the same thing, only say what we’re hopeful for.”

He concurred.

We took a single step and looked at one another with a sour expression. He looked down and said, “I feel greedy wishing for something now. I can’t do it.”

I’d recommend you try this. Yes, it’s ridiculous and arbitrary, but so is shaking hands, saying a cheers, or high-fiving a friend. If not aloud, try to verbalize in your head as you walk down a street.

Be thankful for the thousand things that are right rather than focusing on the handful of things that aren’t perfect. Life’s truly amazing and it’s too bad we’re not as good at focusing on how lucky we are than we are at reminding ourselves what we may be lacking.

And, yes, I’m thankful you made it this far. Thank you.