Gratitude 2: Thank the People We Admire
- Nancy Wilson
- May 20, 2020
- 4 min read
A previous blog described how my husband and I focus on a gratitude topic each month (Gratitude 1: Thank the People We Know published on April 15). This month's Gratitude Focus topic is to thank the people we do not know and admire (living and dead).
My list runs long. As I was writing down names, I noticed that these people fall into categories.
Space: the final frontier...to explore strange new worlds.
To seek out new life and new civilizations.
To boldly go where no man has gone before!
-- Gene Roddenberry, John D.F. Black, Bob Justman (Star Trek)
I admire explorers who take the daunting journeys into unknown regions. Today's explorers plunge into space and the deep oceans to discover worlds beyond ours. I cannot imagine the tenacity and bravery it takes of someone like Yuri Gagarin, the first man ever to travel into space in a cramped spacecraft, or Leif Erikson, the first European explorer to land in North America (500 years before Christopher Columbus) to go forward. I am thankful that these risk-takers disregarded the perils of their travels and discovered worlds that amaze and inspire me.
Quiet people have the loudest minds.
-- Stephen Hawking
I admire thinkers who question why and, resolutely, pursue answers. Galileo played a major role in the scientific revolution of the 17th century. The foundation was built for scientists such as Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, Benjamin Franklin and Louis Pasteur to develop and prove their theories on motion, radioactivity, electricity and bacteria. I am thankful that "I don't know" is not sufficient for some people.
Every great dream begins with a dreamer.
Always remember, you have within you
the strength, the patience and the passion
to reach for the stars to change the world.
-- Harriet Tubman
I admire dreamers who have hope for a better world and inspire others to join them. Martin Luther King, Jr., Harriet Tubman, Cesar Chavez, Nelson Mandela and John Lewis lived lives of service to end suffering and injustice. All of them are great examples of people who sacrificed their bodies to change laws and protect disenfranchised populations. I am thankful that the dreamers passionately believe their actions can change how we live and live their lives with integrity.
I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas.
I'm frightened of the old ones.
-- John Cage
I admire artists who are creative and conceive works of art with abandonment. Artists are the soul of our society. They draw, write and compose works that speak their truth and open their hearts to us. I cannot gaze at the pieces from Vincent Van Gogh, Jackson Pollock, Ben Shahn and Pablo Picasso without feeling touched. I cannot listen to works by Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Yo-Yo Ma, Sting, Frederic Chopin, Ludwig von Beethoven and Sergei Rachmaninoff without tearing up. I cannot watch Twyla Tharp, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Misty Copeland, Fred Astaire and Michael Jackson without losing my breath. I cannot look at the beautiful designs of Leonardo di Vinci, Frank Lloyd Wright, Frank Gehry, Antoni Gaudi and Le Corbusier without marveling at their commitment to beauty and functionality. I cannot read works by Ralph Ellison, Alexandre Dumas, J.K. Rowling, Edgar Allan Poe, Brothers Grimm, O. Henry, Louisa May Alcott and Stan Lee without being transported into their worlds. I am thankful for the people who create gems from their heart -- with honesty.
We need to reshape our own perception of how we view ourselves.
We have to step up as women and take the lead.
-- Beyonce
I admire women who defy expectations of what they can accomplish. Some, like Malala Yousafzai and Greta Thunberg, overlooking their inexperience, used the liveliness of their youth. Others, like Amelia Earhart, Sally Ride, Billie Jean King, Ada Lovelace, Shirley Chisholm, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Madeleine Albright set new standards and started a movement away from the "all boys" norm in areas of science, space, sports, computers and politics. I admire the politicians and journalists that have become leaders regardless of their sex - Kamala Harris, Stacey Abrams, Hillary Clinton, Kirsten Gillibrand, Elizabeth Warren, Nancy Pelosi, Rachel Maddow, Nicole Wallace, Ashley Parker, to name a few. And who can ignore the female titans of business, Martha Stewart and Oprah Winfrey? I am thankful that they set great examples for me...and young girls ready to take over.
If you think you are too small to make a difference,
try sleeping with a mosquito.
-- Dalai Lama
I admire the philosophers who consistently provide sustenance through good and bad times. Karen Armstrong, a former Catholic nun, dedicates her time living with the clerics of all religions to inform us of their history and the jewels of their doctrine - all in the spirit of inclusivity. Our current religious leaders, Pope Francis and the Dalai Lama, impart their wisdom, grace and mercy to anyone. I am thankful that they live as paragons of the beauties of religion.
Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen,
others make it happen.
-- Michael Jordan
Finally, I admire the do-gooders -- Bill and Melinda Gates, Warren Buffett, Michael Bloomberg and Marlo Thomas. They're the people that use their wealth to make things right. Every year, I look to how these people have decided to use their monies wisely to make a difference and make adjustments to my own schedule of charitable contributions. I am thankful there are people who fund the good ideas to help the disenfranchised, the sick and the communities that want to help themselves.
Ponder who makes you think, hope and discover. Who inspires you? Who makes you want to be better? Thank them for setting the examples for the community you want.
Comments