Last night, I was loitering on Youtube when I discovered a video recorded by my friend John “Halcyon” Styn, called 41 & Fabulous: 15 Life Lessons From The Pink Path. It’s a whopping 40 minutes long, & it was made in celebration of the fact that on Monday, John will turn 41 years old.

I started watching it, & immediately a huge smile spread over my face. There is something delightful & infectious about John, the way he lives his life, & the way he speaks his truth.

The first life lesson John mentions is gratitude. He says GRATITUDE IS KEY, & he shared this quote:

“Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life & the world.” (John Milton)

He is so right when he says that gratitude is the greatest tool we have, & that it sets a baseline. If you wish you had more, you’re poor; if you’re happy with what you have, you’re rich.

When he said that in his video, it was like being hit over the head with a big stick. I’ve definitely spent a lot of time focussing on the LACK in my life this week: how I want this, or I want that, or how life will be better when this happens… Of course, what happens when you focus on something? No matter whether it’s good or bad, it just gets bigger & bigger. It can put us into a tailspin or it can elevate us to new heights. It all depends on the thought we choose to focus on.

If we can learn to be happy with our life RIGHT NOW — not when that package arrives, or when we finally go on that holiday, or when we receive this or that accolade — we’ll never want for anything else. The greatest thing we can ever learn is to be happy now. Happy without reservation.

This is such basic — but difficult — stuff, & I really needed to be reminded about it.

Today I am thankful for my friend John, who recorded this video which made me think & smile — & will hopefully make you think & smile, too. Happy birthday, John!