And so, the story goes, that I am at a place in my life where I try to appreciate people more.  I will say that I certainly have learned to appreciate my friends, now more than ever.  Having to rely on the kindness of others takes some getting used to for me, but I’m learning to give: a little.

As I stepped out of the shower the other day, something dawned on me out of nowhere.  I heard, “Entitlement is the absence of appreciation.”  Hmph.  That caught me by surprise.  I instantly tweeted it, and others shared it as well.  Since that day, I’ve been cycling the statement through my head.

The interesting thing that I have discovered about myself is that I appreciate something and over time, I don’t appreciate it as much.  I have even felt entitled to “it” as well.  For example, I appreciated my car when I first purchased it.  I would wash, wax and vacuum that car every week.  Fast forwarding several years later, the only cleaning my car would get was when it rained.  During winter, I would always allow my car time enough to warm up.  Towards the latter, I would only warm it up sometimes.  I can even remember saying, “You better start.”  I no longer have a vehicle.  I wonder why?  LOL.

I have realized that one thing that I can work on is consistency.  No matter how mundane things may appear, I must always remember to show appreciation.  I am constantly reminding myself to be thankful for people.  I don’t want to become complacent either, because that will lead me down the path of “it better.”

Is it a constant struggle?  Sure, at first.  The goal is for me to deliberately remind myself of being appreciative until it grafts to my character.  Until it does, I’ll continue being deliberate in my actions.  That’s for sure.   Otherwise, my relationships will become like my car: no more.

Until next time,

Love & Peace.

-Herbie