In a recent interview, the poet Maya Angelou was asked a singular question. She was asked what was the greatest lesson she had learned in life and she answered without hesitation:
"I believe the most important lesson any human being, I, can learn and practice is an attitude of gratitude. Gratitude--to never be modest. Modesty is a learned affectation. It's stuck on like decals and as soon as life slams the modest person against the wall, that modesty will drop off and you'll see the real person come out. It's best to long for, pray for, and develop humility. Humility comes from inside out. It says there was someone before me and I have to do my best to help pave the road for someone who is yet to come. I say thank you to all the ancestors…[for surviving and enduring]. Thank you. Thank you. And what is my job? My job is to make myself a person who the next generation will say thank you to."
What a concept. Gratitude as an organizing principle for our lives. What would I do with my time if my chief focus in life was to be a person others would want to say thank you to? Would would I NOT do with my time if I were truly motivated by gratitude for my parents and grandparents, Church leaders and everyone who laid the pavement for my life.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment