Are you grateful for what you have?

Typically, instead of being grateful for what we have, many of us keep wishing for more.

Some of us are lost in a world of inconsequential need; too focused on that new car, fancy television or latest mobile phone. Others crave recognition that really isn’t significant in the greater scheme of things, as recognition isn’t the same as respect.

When you’re flying solo, everything is often magnified. The wins are so much more wonderful when we know that we’ve achieved them on our own, and conversely, the losses hit that little bit harder when we aren’t surrounded by a whole lot of colleagues with which to share the pain.

Therefore, shouldn’t we sometimes take stock of our situation and decide whether or not to appreciate what we already have? After all, isn’t a balanced life enjoyed under the umbrella of freedom what being a soloist is really all about ?

It’s not always as simple as it sounds and unfortunately, it sometimes takes a real jolt to remind us.

Very recently, I received a big jolt – one that I won’t easily, if ever, forget.

The day I had my 49th birthday, I was feeling pretty uncomfortable that my birthdays are starting to come around a little too quickly.

The next afternoon, I discovered that one of our community’s finest people had innocently lost his life in a road accident at the age of only 44, leaving behind a wife and two teenaged children. Although he was a quiet and unassuming person of no financial or political standing, almost 1,000 people attended his funeral, and there were many who didn’t go because they couldn’t face the experience of saying farewell to such a fine person, lost so young and unfairly.

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It would be an understatement to say that, all of a sudden, I realised that every new birthday is, in fact, a gift to be received most gratefully.

If I didn’t fully appreciate what I have before, I sure do now – what you might call a complete reframing of my perspective of that most precious of all things – life !

Of course, we all have our stories to tell, and the real point of this article is, what are we going to do about it ?

Given that when we’re Flying Solo, its our attitude that determines our altitude, I suggest we should all enjoy the gift of each new day and appreciate the value of what we already have !

Dedicated to Andrew Wearne.