23 Nov Thank You for…
Silent gratitude isn’t much use to anyone.
~G.B. Stern
A few thoughts on gratitude…
Every year my wife makes a calendar on iPhoto of all the prior year’s experiences for us to keep up in the kitchen.
This month she came up with something a little different. For every day of the month we’d write in a few things we’re thankful for. For the most part I’m a pretty appreciative guy and try to take very little for granted. But an exercise like this is incredibly eye-opening.
So often we don’t realize all the mind-blowing things, big and small, that we take as given.
This past two weeks of launching Live Off Your Passion was one of those times.
The experience of putting my first major paid project up for sale (and scrutiny), is enough to make a guy lose some major sleep (which I did). But it also turned out to be one of the most rewarding, proud, exciting and overall fun experiences I’ve ever had.
I pour my heart and soul into the ‘work’ I do at Live Your Legend. And I poured just has much love and sweat into the Live Off Your Passion eCourse. It was my goal to make it the most comprehensive online course for finding your passion and building a career around it. But even more than that, my goal was to create something that allowed you all to move from the 80% of people who don’t enjoy their work, to the 20% who love what they do. When we start to turn that statistic around is when we’ll start to change the world.
All of you will be the judges of whether these goals are achieved.
Since Live Off Your Passion launched two weeks ago, nearly 300 of you picked up a copy. That alone has me pinching myself.
I’ve received dozens upon dozens of really amazing emails from those of you who have already taken the course and some of you have been awesome enough to leave your thoughts in the comments at the bottom the launch post. Click here to check them out – this stuff has been so cool to read.
It’s humbling to see how much this is already starting to help people. It’s literally the kind of thing I used to dream of.
This brings me back to gratitude.
None of this would be possible without you.
A revolution begins with an idea but can’t exist without its support, followers and community. Live Your Legend would not exist without all of you. And surely Live Off Your Passion would have never seen the light of day.
As I write this I’m in Maui with 16 family members for Thanksgiving. To say the least, I am grateful.
It’s the perfect decompress after way too many long nights during the launch, but also the perfect environment to reflect on what actually matters and how grateful I am to have what I do.
Here is a very incomplete list of the things I am in awe of daily. The things that deserve constant thanks. I hope this list encourages you to make your own. And to leave at least one thing you’re thankful for in the comments below.
What I’m grateful for (in no particular order):
1. A family that has offered nothing but support and taught me that the words friend and family should be synonymous. And for encouraging experiments and showing me the meaning of the words ‘what’s the worst that could happen?’
2. A wife who supports everything I do. I mean everything. Who entertains the crazy ideas and is subjected to talking about this site and helping people do work they love, way more often than is fair.
3. A body that can run, jump, swim or climb just about whatever’s infront of it at a moment’s notice.
4. A mind that believes it’s possible.
5. The freedom to say the things I believe and build businesses to help people in a way only I can.
6. Having a belief that will change the world and doing something to make it reality.
7. Having a ‘job’ that excites me daily and involves only the things I’m actually good at.
8. Being able to fly across the world for the cost of a few nice dinners.
9. The Internet.
10. Being able to interact and become friends with people in every part of the world, right from my litte Macbook Air.
11. Apple and Steve Jobs.
12. Wine with close friends.
13. Having close friends with whom to sip the wine.
14. Having a group of people to share and inspire each other to live big and hold ourselves to the standard we know the world deserves.
15. To be able to make money simply by offering my talents – on and off the web (that one is still crazy to think about).
16. To know the importance of simple healthy food and be able to choose to eat it whenever I want.
17. To have a business partner who understands me and compliments my strengths almost too perfectly.
18. A little niece who is the cutest thing in the world and has the most perfect ability to remind me of what really matters (and the so many things we think do, but actually don’t).
19. The ability to meet and interact with inspiring people every day.
20. TED Talks + my iPad to allow me to be inspired by these folks absolutely any time and any place I want.
21. The ability to ‘work’ from anywhere. Absolutely anywhere (I’m overlooking the beach in Hawaii right now).
22. To not be able to distinguish the difference between work and play.
23. My perfect wife. Oh wait, maybe I already said that. She deserves another mention anyway ;). And her vegetarian recipe blog that I get to be the lucky test subject of almost daily.
24. WordPress.
25. Being able to have a super technically sophisticated website and business without knowing more than two lines of code. How is that possible?
26. Boj and her team at Get Friday out in India who help me do things better, faster and cheaper than I could ever hope to on my own.
27. Writing.
29. Be able to write.
30. Books.
31. Being able to read.
32. Having the chance to write books without anyone being able to hold me back.
33. Fresh, clean, really really tasty water available for free whenever I want it (we have some of the best water in SF!).
34. All the people who show me that ‘impossible’ is usually not much more than a state of mind. Those who’ve done it all before me, have shown me the path and help and inspire me to walk it every day.
35. YOU.
You. Make. All. This. Possible.
Thank you.
I can’t believe I get paid to do this stuff.
Take 15 seconds and write one thing you’re thankful for in the comments below. It’s not until you get it out of your head and onto paper that you can really appreciate it. If you’re reading this in email, click here to get to the comments. Let’s see how big of a list we can build!
And in case I don’t say it often enough…Thank you.
-Scott
Tania Tyler | Whole Living Today
Posted at 16:02h, 23 NovemberI’m grateful for many things but the first thing that came to mind is I am grateful for who I have grown to become. Without that, I wouldn’t have as much to be grateful for 🙂
Love your #22… to not be able to distinguish the difference between work and play.
Happy Thanksgiving!
susan shannon
Posted at 16:03h, 23 NovemberI am thankful for friends who are like my family AND my family who, though thousands of miles away, always feel close at heart!
steve
Posted at 16:13h, 23 NovemberLike Tania, I’m thankful for a lot of great things, family, friends, life, etc but
I’m also thankful for finding my passion and having the guts to honor it and follow it.
Don
Posted at 17:24h, 23 NovemberI am grateful that Jesus Christ accepts me and has come into my life in spite of my sinfulness, acts of stupidity, ignorance, bad decisions and some times “less than” gratuitous attitude.
God Bless all your readers and for a bit of added inspiration, watch this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRYeVFkBCps&ob=av2n
Don
Hugh Kimura
Posted at 17:35h, 23 NovemberI’m grateful for all of the people I have met online who have the same goal of creating a life based on passion.
Jim Krenz
Posted at 17:47h, 23 NovemberI am grateful for people that make dents in the universe.
Polina
Posted at 20:01h, 23 NovemberI am grateful for my friends who believe in me and think that I am the most creative, unique person in the world!
I am grateful for my fiance who is most caring and loving.
I’m grateful for every day.
Babu
Posted at 20:20h, 23 NovemberI am grateful for the knowing that even the toughest of situations will pass and for the power I have been given to make that happen.
Susie-Woo
Posted at 20:25h, 23 NovemberI am grateful for my itinerant life, my good health, for all the new possibilities that constantly open up, and for so many wonderful friends.
Inderpreet singh
Posted at 20:28h, 23 Novemberi am grateful to guru gobind singh ji, who sacrificed his father, his four sons, his grandmother and at last himself for me, so that i could live with pride and honor.
Rob
Posted at 20:35h, 23 NovemberI am grateful for our 22 month old son: that he is healthy and for his experience that is ending my eyes
susan dean
Posted at 20:42h, 23 NovemberI’m thankful for Live the Legend!
Steve Strother
Posted at 20:54h, 23 NovemberI am thankful that thanks to you and several other bloggers, within the last 6 months I have learned to fear failure less and to look at it as a learning opportunity. I have learned to choose not to let failures define me but instead to learn from them, and to keep moving forward toward something even better.
Steve Strother
Paige Burkes
Posted at 22:28h, 23 NovemberI recently posted such a list of a handful of the zillions of things I’m grateful for each day. I’m so grateful for the blogging world and the beautiful people who make it up. In this environment I’ve learned that I love to write and people actually enjoy reading what I write. I’m grateful for the “real me” that has emerged over the last year because of the welcoming environment created by people like you. Thank you!
Sara.es
Posted at 01:17h, 24 NovemberI am grateful for you to give us this opportunity to grow being thankful. I’m grateful for being alive and having the chance to share special moments with great people: my family (specially my parents) and friends. I’m grateful for the internet, that allows me to communicate in a cheap and effective way with everybody! 🙂 I’m grateful for keep on learning great stuff every single day and transmit it to the ones who want to listen to me. I’m grateful for helping other people realizing that it’s going better then what they already think. I’m grateful for having discovered how awesome life can be and live it to the fullest. I’m grateful for having dreams and passions, being able to identify them and follow them! 🙂 I’m grateful for being capable of enjoying everything I have right here, right now, because that’s all I need at this very moment! I’m grateful for the food I eat everyday that improves my health and well being. I’m grateful for the all the challenges that I have overcome in my life and the ones that are to come; they made me who I am today. At last, but not least, I’m grateful for myself, for my personal development and all the love and want to share! Thank you!
Julia
Posted at 02:43h, 24 NovemberRight now I am thankful for this particular blog post. It reminded me of all the good things I already have in my life. That realization was missing for the last few weeks and I wondered why I was so frustrated. It took just one blog post to give me my usual (happy) self back. You can’t imagine how grateful I am right now.
Thank you, Scott!
Carol Wills
Posted at 05:30h, 24 NovemberI am thankful for good memories from my childhood days. I had a family who cherished time together, and my mother especially worked hard to put together family feasts that brought us all together for holidays. Now that I am older and alone, I know how to appreciate all of that. I pray for all those folks like me facing the holidays alone. Just keep on keeping on! And be grateful for all that you can
share with others.
Scott
Posted at 07:12h, 29 NovemberIf nothing else you have us Carol. That’s what this community is all about!
Zoran Lisovac
Posted at 06:49h, 24 NovemberScott i’m grateful for people like you, people who can always inspire me and people i can look up to .. thank you! Regards all the way from Serbia 🙂
Jonathan L
Posted at 09:12h, 24 NovemberScott,
I’m thankful for the people in this world that have similar ideals, goals, and visions that allow myself and my wife to see the opportunity in life as a great and continually new example of what’s possible.
Thanks
Robyn Wilcox
Posted at 14:39h, 24 NovemberI am grateful for each new day
David Nagy
Posted at 03:14h, 25 NovemberI am thankful to have amazing person around me.
I am grateful everyday for my wonderful girlfriend.
I am thankful that I can read whatever you write.
Your an inspiration for me. Thank you Scott!
Gretchen
Posted at 10:00h, 25 NovemberI am thankful for health, love, and friendship.
Subha
Posted at 10:39h, 25 November1. The ability to think differently
2. My husband for encouraging me to think differently
3. The internet for opening up new opportunities for me
4. My friends for being with me in good and trying time
5. My children who are my hope for the future
6. My parents for who I am
7. My siblings for teaching me to share both happiness and sorrow
8. My home which is spacious and comfortable
9. My independance and ability to work from home
10. Scott Dinsmore: For making me feel great about how I live and not feel guilty about not ‘working 9-5’
Lessie
Posted at 13:47h, 25 NovemberI’m thankful for the generousity of those in my life this thanksgiving and more. Thanful for my youthful appearance and feel, for second and beyond chances, for ipads and any computers that I can get my hands on, for friendly people, for libraries, dedicated staff and military, for the ability to help think and feel normal gifted and human, for dogs that teach and soothe, for lessons learned, for you reaching out to me, for clothing given to me, the strength to walk and persevere, for this exercise, for education, entertaining tv, memories and experiences, for getting my mind off of problems and moving forward, for god winking at me, for music, for the delicious meals I eat, for the city that gets into the spirit and gives, for peace, for phones,
Lea B.
Posted at 14:35h, 25 NovemberI’m grateful that I have so many things to be thankful for. I don’t even know where to begin…
Lynn
Posted at 23:32h, 03 DecemberI second that, Lea.
Pam W.
Posted at 14:56h, 25 NovemberI am thankful for my life which has included living in some great places (NYC, London, Bangkok, SF, Prague + DC), and having the physical and mental health to enjoy it as well as great family and friends to enjoy it with!
Aaron
Posted at 15:16h, 25 NovemberScott:
I am grateful to “know” you based upon your genuine passion for helping others to see what is possible as opposed to only what is. Glad I stumbled upoin your blog, love the content, and look forward to sharing my success story with you and others on the board soon. Be well, and happy holidays to you and your family.
Cecily
Posted at 17:51h, 25 NovemberI’m grateful for the art of gratitude. Just stopping to think about everything you love about your life is pretty ridiculously fantastic. Thanks for the great post, Scott. Enjoy Maui!
Marv n Jo
Posted at 23:12h, 25 NovemberGrateful for an amazing life filled with incredible people like you Scott. Once in a while, you meet someone in your life who is different. A game changer…a visionary…or as Seth Godin says, a “linchpin”. Thank you for your awesome contributions to the world. The ripple effect can be felt across the globe.
Keep it up. We need more courageous people to step up their game. Ourselves included. 😉
Scott
Posted at 07:16h, 29 NovemberThat’s humbling to hear guys. Thank you. But remember you are those courageous people you speak of!
Sabine
Posted at 01:05h, 26 NovemberI’m grateful that I get another chance every day!
Jacob
Posted at 17:33h, 26 NovemberI am thankful for the gift of thought.
Ngoc Khong
Posted at 11:48h, 28 NovemberI’m grateful for my wonderful mother. Thanks to her and all her great love, support and trust I’ve grown up and been able to catch opportunities. Without her I would have been absolutely nothing.
Brian
Posted at 14:38h, 16 DecemberI’m truly grateful for having a brother. Without Mike, I wouldn’t be as adventeurous, loving, funny, and well liked as I am. He’s been my leader throughout my entire childhood and high school experience, and even to this day continues to inspire me.
Cheryl
Posted at 17:38h, 22 DecemberI’m grateful for finding inspiration about finding my passion. and for the blues
brand
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