So many reasons to be thankful

23 Nov 2010 3 Comments

So many reasons to be thankful

It’s Thanksgiving Day in the US and I know we don’t celebrate it over here in Australia, but I still think its equally important for us to be thankful for the things that we have and the things that we don’t have.

I’ve always been one that have taken things, people and circumstances for granted – not that I grew up in luxury, but I have never really thought about how much I have. But since Ryan’s death, I’ve started to do a lot more reflections at the end of each year, and make sure I thank, apologise and/or show my love and appreciation to the people who have been integral part of who I’ve become in that year.

To be where I’m at right now, I am thankful for many, many things; and many, many people but beyond all that, I am thankful to be alive and a part of humanity. I am thankful for my ability to love, and be loved, and the abundant opportunities I have in front of me to change my own world and the world of others.

But most of all, these few weeks, I am thankful for the people who have shared with me their stories of hardship, their struggle with mental illness and suicide, and the adversities that they’ve been through. These stories give me hope, strength and serve as a catalyst for me to do something more to make this place a better place for more people.

Most of all, I am thankful that @StaceyMonk invited me to be a part of #EpicThanks for this year. And this year, #EpicThanks support and celebrate the lives of three extraordinary changemakers around the world, whose dream defy all odds and whose determination makes everything impossible seems possible. Their hopes and dreams for a better future for their community is beyond what many people I know are trying to do, and I am so, so honoured to be supporting their work. I can’t do any justice to their stories so I invite you to take 5 minutes to read their stories and trust me, your day will be instantly better.

That aside, today, I am so thankful for you, for reading this blog, keeping it alive, giving me feedback, further thoughts and challenging status quo. I am thankful for all the people who have walked into my life and leaves an inspiring, lasting indent in my life in many years to come. I’ve created a thank you card for all of you, for being my hope, my dreams, my inspiration, my support and my catalyst in all the things that I do.

So, click on the image above, and head over to #EpicThanks and make a thank you card or note for all the people or the things you are thankful for, and together, let’s celebrate the work of these three amazing, amazing change makers.

I know its easy to read this and then leave it at that, but I hope that my plea will move you to click over and create a thank you note. This world is a better place because of you. :-)

Thank you so much for being such an important part of my life, and such an inspiration to me and all the things that I do, and the way I live my life. Thanks to all those who have shared with me their stories – of hardship, struggle, adversities, love, hope, perseverance and most of all, resilience. Here’s my love to you.

Brisbaneboy

Big thanks to you as well Ehon! Its fantastic to see someone with as much motivation for change as you do, and some perseverance to stick at it. So many institutions have had an inefficient unproductive old culture instilled into them over time and it certainly takes a continual and prolonged ‘attack’ to see the change. Too many people give up because its all harder then what they thought it would be.

Thanks for not!

And how cares if we don’t celebrate thanksgiving – its still a great time to give thanks and to have some pumpkin pie!
Anonymous

Brisbaneboy, you are a legend. It’s people like you, who believe in me and who give me so many things to think about, shifting my thoughts, supporting my ideas and what I think, and reassuring me that I am able to do what I do.

Thank you so, so much!
Brisbaneboy

Ehon
As a fellow 20-something, and one who works within THE most conservative of all industry (law), I know too well a rigorous approach needs to be taken in order to see any form of change against the preconceived norm. Like George Bernard Shaw said – The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.

Perhaps he executed that awkwardly, but I think you see the point – Certainly you need someone that sees the world differently, but that’s different in the end not “unreasonable”. The “unreasonable” man may be better described as uncontent while the current establishment is content.

Those of us who have tasked ourselves to be the “unreasonable” owe it to each other to challenge, shift, support and reassure – to refine our position and enhance its power against the contented establishment.

You do so much more on the ground and at the coal face then what I get to, and what I should and want to get to, but never ‘make’ the time to get to (Though perhaps between the two of us it works in a degree you at the coal face and me in countless committee and/or board meetings!). So thank you for the chance to live some of it vicariously through you, by way of offering my 2 cents when I can for as long as it’ll get a sympathetic ear!

I certainly don’t tire of hearing your thoughts and ideas!