20 Comments

This seems an appropriate response to today’s column.

"Some luck lies in not getting what you thought you wanted but getting what you have, which once you have got it you may be smart enough to see is what you would have wanted had you known."

- Garrison Keillor

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Nov 23, 2022Liked by Bill Murphy Jr.

You might add a way to periodically send you $5 or $10, like Wikipedia does.

I don't want to subscribe yet, but I might send some money once in a while Bill.

Greg

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Keep in mind authorities understand the "drunksgiving" phenomenon all too well. Most police departments and highway patrols are working overtime tonight searching for early revelers. It's just not worth it. Happy Thanksgiving and stay safe.

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Thank you for reminding me that sometimes, I know .. haha

Have a great holiday, looking forward to hearing all about the insights it will provide.

Thank you.

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Man, that main article is me to a “t”. Well, numbers 2 & 3 are. I can’t say I spend any time thinking about my own death.

At least for the last 20 years, I’ve perfected my own gratitude. I take every opportunity to see what I’m thankful for…from a phone conversation that makes me happy inside to a boss that let me go and changed my life in doing so. Many people appreciate the obvious things. I appreciate everything…and most of it in vivid detail.

Oftentimes I’ve wondered if this makes me naive or “oblivious”. I’ll revel in the personality traits of a graphics “partner” based in Pakistan whom I believe is such a huge part of why I’m successful. So much so that I want to give back to her in spades so she can provide for her family in ways she’s never been able to in the past. I’ll make a special trip to the bookstore to buy a book to send to my former boss who let me go, and inscribe it with a message letting him know how much he changed my life in so many ways. I’ll write a long, epic email to a favorite client, explaining why I work for him almost for free…because I see a “partnership” between us that makes us each better at what we do. (He’s now a true partner, and we both are benefitting monetarily from that epiphany of gratitude.) I tell my daughters how intensely grateful I am for their mother, even when she’s mad at me and my daughters are calling me to take my side… “No! You don’t understand! She has every right to feel this way, and if it wasn’t for this character trait of hers, I would’ve been lying in some ditch YEARS ago! She’ll be fine by tomorrow, and I will be a better person because of this!”

In keeping with my spirit of appreciation, this article helps me realize that my high level of and insane creativity with gratitude are not only “ok”, but life-fueling for me. I’m always “off the charts” happy, and this is a big reason why. Having read this article, I feel I can allow myself to continue to be this grateful without feeling I’m overdoing it to a fault or missing out on something that would be served better by pessimism. Lol

So, thank you!! Haha

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“Death twitches my ear;

'Live,' he says...

'I'm coming.”

― Virgil

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founding

Good point re Drunksgiving

Be careful

Use ride sharing if neccesary

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Keep a gratitude journal. Every day, write down at least give things for which you are grateful on that day. It can be something big, like "I won the lottery", or it can be something small, such as "The bus arrived just when I got to the bus stop". If you do this for 2 or 3 months, you will notice a subtle but dramatic change in your attitude. Instead of saying, "Woe is me. My mother is dying", you can say "the twinkle in my mother's eyes". This doesn't mean you shouldn't mourn losses, but to acknowledge that every single day, something good happens.

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Thanks for your newsletter. I am grateful for it.

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Thank you Bill for all you do and thanks to your family for their sacrifices as well! Have a restful weekend!

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Your Stephen Colbert link got me. Had to be a subscriber to read and I finally pulled the trigger. Waited too long to show you my thanks. Have a restful weekend, Bill.

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My family is part of the 49 million travelers stats. I wondered how they come up with those numbers since we’re driving and didn’t book online.

Happy Thanksgiving Bill!!

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I’m so glad I found this site. Inspiring and informative

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As always, this feed incudes some gem that broadens perspective- Today: specific gratitudes and “Thank outside the box”. I am grateful for reminders and positive input….

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Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family Bill. And yes, thinking about one’s own demise does make one more thankful for all one has. I’ve learned that this year if I’ve learned nothing else. Time flies, life is short, love is the answer.

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At a particularly low point in my life, it was suggested I read “Man’s Search For Meaning” by Victor Frankl. It’s about how the author, a psychologist, survived the death camps in Germany during WWII. What an eye opener !! My whole psyche changed after reading. Many times during the day I pray for folks who are now in war, or fighting disease, etc. I have been luckily enough to survive several tragedies. And realized, like Colbert, that tragedy is human nature. How did I survive them? I kept asking “what is the lesson?” Sometimes it very apparent and sometime the meaning comes later. But I forgive myself for making human errors, vow to try not to do it again. Listen to people’s opinions and make up my own mind. Basically, strive to be a mensch. Since no one gets out alive, why not make the best of what you have.

Good article on Colbert

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