Thank you.  Two very simple words that have a very big meaning.  They represent an attitude of gratefulness and showcase humbleness.

Someone I respect and admire said those words to me the other day and it caught me off guard.  It was then that I realized it isn't common to have those words spoken to me, you, or anyone these days.  In fact, the whole idea of being grateful for anything seems to be a dying art.

How is that possible when we live in a day and age where our generation experiences so many benefits from the hard work of previous centuries?

It is, however, very common to hear people complaining about everything and anything.  And it seems age has no meaning in this new era of discontent. Even the very young have already caught on.

It seems that everywhere I look we are encouraged to be ungrateful and to be vocal about it.  Everything from TV commercials that remind us of what we don't have and try to make us want it, to people who have work but don't like it simply because it isn't what they wanted.

I'm not saying that life can't be difficult.  It can be.  I know.  I've been struggling these past few weeks with carpel tunnel syndrome in both of my hands and I'm a musician who has lots of performances right now.  Believe me when I say I could be very ungrateful right now.  But I'm not.  Instead I choose to focus on what I do have and how good I have it living in the US.

It is human nature to complain and feel entitled.  It runs rampant in societies all over the world.  But that doesn't make it right.  I wonder if I can be a better model of gratefulness, would it encourage others to do the same?  Would my attitude of thankfulness become contagious?

All I know is that when someone says Thank You to me I feel wonderful even if my whole day up to that point was not.  

When was the last time you told someone Thank You?  

When was the last time you told God Thank You?