Appreciate Your Jeans

I had the great fortune recently to see someone truly happy and grateful for something most of us take for granted: The chance to own a pair of jeans.

Appreciation

Most of us become so accustomed to having the basics that we lose sight of how fortunate we are to have them. Fortunately for me, I had the opportunity to be humbled and reminded of how good I have things.

I had offered to take someone to the store so they could pick up a few things, and they happened to see that jeans were on sale. They were so genuinely thrilled to have a pair of real jeans again that I couldn't help but feel a bit ashamed at how I take my closet of clothes for granted every day.

This person didn't say a word to me about it, despite knowing full well that their joy over something so simple might seem strange to others. They were just genuinely grateful for this very basic thing. We could all stand to be more like this person, in some if not all areas of our lives.

Look Around

If you look around yourself, you will nearly always be able to find people who have less than you and yet appreciate what they have more than you. Study these people and learn from them.

I'm not suggesting you embark on a vow of poverty. Fight for and earn the heights and rewards you know you can achieve. But along the way, take a lesson from the less fortunate but still satisfied: There is a lot more to be grateful for than you realize.

The simple tools you might take for granted as simply a means to an end are treasures to others. Stop and appreciate how fortunate you are to even have them, to even have access to the means to advance yourself. Your every day occurrence is someone else's dream.

Do You Appreciate Your Jeans?

As always, I want to hear from all of you. Tell us about what you've learned to appreciate in your life, what you've learned to not take for granted.