From the Founder, Brian Mazza 5/25
The Forgotten Skill: Gratitude
Somewhere along the way gratitude became performative.
A social media caption.
A journal entry.
A hashtag.
A temporary feeling after something good happens.
But real gratitude has never been words.
Real gratitude is behavior.
On Memorial Day, while most people are enjoying the long weekend, eating with family, sitting by the pool, watching sports, or simply slowing down for a moment, it is important we remember why we even have the freedom to do those things in the first place.
Because somebody protected it.
Somebody sacrificed for it.
Somebody gave up time, comfort, family, opportunity, and in many cases their life for it.
That matters.
We live in a country where we still have the opportunity to build, create, speak freely, raise families, chase dreams, start businesses, fail publicly, reinvent ourselves, and pursue greatness. That is not normal across the world. That is not guaranteed. That freedom was paid for long before any of us arrived here.
And the greatest way to honor that sacrifice is not simply saying “thank you.”
It is living a life worthy of the opportunity.
Gratitude is how you show up for your family.
Gratitude is taking care of your body.
Gratitude is working hard when nobody is watching.
Gratitude is becoming dependable.
Gratitude is raising strong children with values and discipline.
Gratitude is building something meaningful with the time you were given.
The older I get, the more I realize gratitude is deeply connected to responsibility.
Weak people believe gratitude is a feeling.
Strong people understand gratitude is stewardship.
It is understanding that freedom without responsibility eventually destroys itself.
That is why I think Memorial Day should hit all of us a little differently. Not just emotionally, but behaviorally. It should force us to reflect on whether we are actually maximizing the opportunities so many brave men and women fought to preserve for us.
Because the truth is this:
Far too many people are wasting the life somebody else sacrificed for.
Today we thank all of our service men and women, past and present, who continue to protect the freedoms and opportunities we often take for granted here in the United States of America.
Your sacrifice matters.
Your courage matters.
Your service matters.
And hopefully the best way we can honor it is by refusing to live small, entitled, distracted lives.
Nothing Changes if Nothing Changes.
