Somedays I feel old. In a recent conversation with a client, I made a reference to the TV character, Eddie Haskell, from the show “Leave it to Beaver.” She had no idea who I was talking about and she is in her early 40’s. I chuckled and said, “You are showing your age,” but she quickly responded with, “No, you are showing yours.” Ouch!
So, while some of you may not remember Eddie Haskell, hopefully you recall Fonzie, the cool leather-jacketed, motorcycle riding character from the TV show “Happy Days.” Henry Winkler, who played “The Fonz,” recently talked in an interview about his love for life and how he has far exceeded any goal that he ever set for himself. He credits his success to three things: preparation, tenacity, and gratitude.
I particularly liked his quote in the interview when he stated that “Gratitude is like a food group. It is essential for being alive.” We often times find lots of things wrong with the world – friends, politicians, organizations, and so on. Complaining may be more of the “food group” that we frequently gravitate to. But what if gratitude were to become a new way of life for each of us. How might that change our outlook and create new possibilities? Winkler says that he sees his glass as more than half full – and it shows in his interactions with people. How do you view your glass today? It might be worth pondering.