I believe in having gratitude towards those who have been there for you. It could be your parents, a friend, a colleague, your boss or a complete stranger. It may be an animal, an inanimate object, a situation in your life or almighty God.
In this context, I distinctly remember the following words communicated to me by a friend:
“Always be nice to people on your way up.
You never know you may have to face them on your way down.”
Showing indifference to people around you who have contributed for your success would be like sowing seeds for your downfall. At the same time I do not mean that you have to go out of the way to express your gratitude. It should be in your heart and communicated through simple words like “Thank you for being……..”. I find it absurd when someone says that he is a self made man. I think no one in this world can be a success story without a helping hand. Every step you took in life was influenced by so many factors. People and circumstances prevailing around you contributed in shaping up your future. So, one has to be grateful towards them. I have been very lucky in this regard. In personal and professional life I managed to get out of difficult situations because of unexpected help that came my way. People, about whom I didn’t know much, contributed some way or the other in helping me achieve something in life. Strangers became friends in the process.
People who played negative role too have been instrumental in helping me take decisions that ultimately helped me move in the right direction. Decision prompted by frustration caused by certain individuals worked out to be beneficial when I look at the final outcome. Their actions could be difficult to forgive and forget but somehow I think I should be grateful to them too.
I think gratitude is one virtue that helps one to stay humble and down to earth. So, thank you for reading this blog post of mine. ;-)
