Thanksgiving 2018: A Few of the Many Things I'm Grateful For

November 22, 2018

Lots to be grateful for.

Of the many things I'm grateful for, the most important are: after 50 years of work I still have my health and more work than I know what to do with; good friends; family; freedom, opportunity, the good fortune that a few of the many stupidly high-risk bets I've made actually paid off, and I have a garden and a library. ("The man who has a garden and a library has everything." Cicero)

It's a worthy exercise to list a few everyday things we appreciate:

1. My readers, correspondents, patrons and financial supporters: Of Two Minds exists because of you.

2. Everyone who supports independent thinkers and creators. On behalf of every independent creator of content, thank you.

3. Everyone who serves the public and maintains a friendly attitude despite the difficulties of their job and a general lack of appreciation. I've been there behind the counter, and I thank you for your service and positive attitude.

4. Opportunity. Life requires decisions, trade-offs, sacrifices and adaptation when things are no longer working. A reader who managed to extricate himself years ago from an oppressive, dictatorial regime and make his way to the U.S. submitted this comment a decade ago:

We live a very simple and happy life. It is amazing to see how most Americans do not have a clue of the unlimited opportunities we all have here. Most people want 'instant gratification' and they are not willing to sacrifice to get what they want, instead they choose to live above their means and go into debt for the rest of their lives.

5. Being average or below-average. It's really OK to be average, or even less-than-average, as in slow and untalented. Why? Because if you manage through discipline and effort to work up to average, you will have achieved far more than the talent-blessed individual or child of the elite who achieves success without developing tremendous self-discipline and without an appreciation, all too often, for the inner wealth of integrity and compassion.

6. Thrift: use it until it shreds / falls apart.

7. Inspiration:

8. When all seems lost... a dramatic reversal:

9. Wildflowers.

10. Rainbows. (Honolulu mauka)

11. Redwoods.

12. Magic.

13. Handmade leis.

14. homemade pizza.

15. Dessert.

16. Camping in national parks: Glacier National Park.

17. Yellowstone National Park: tent camping, first snow of the season.

18. Blue sky.

19. Harvesting and sharing fruit. (ohelo berries)

20. Undiscovered gems you zoom past a hundred times and then finally stop to enjoy.

21. "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her."

And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. (John 8:7-9)


My new mystery The Adventures of the Consulting Philosopher: The Disappearance of Drake is a ridiculously affordable $1.29 (Kindle) or $8.95 (print); read the first chapters for free (PDF)

My book Money and Work Unchained is now $6.95 for the Kindle ebook and $15 for the print edition.

Read the first section for free in PDF format.


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