For nearly fifty years, I have worked nearly everyday of my life. Work has always been a saving grace for me.
Work is good because you don’t have time to reflect on your life. But lately a rigorous work schedule has lightened, and time for self reflection has arrived.
There are two themes that keep coming into my mind. They are the joy of gratitude, and the guilt of ingratitude.
I’m a lucky guy. By all measures I should not have had the good fortunes that have come my way. I am grateful for every person that has helped me. Deeply grateful.
On the other hand (and there is always another hand), I have felt guilt over what I consider moments of my ingratitude.
I believe that humans, in order to be fully human, can’t have one thing without having to face its opposite. For every one side of the argument there is another side.
So it is with experiencing gratitude. With that comes its opposite – ingratitude. Gratitude creates joy, ingratitude produces guilt.
So how have I chosen to handle this conflict of gratitude and ingratitude, of joy and guilt?
Of gratitude, keep it close, never let it go. Of guilt, face it, feel the weight of it emotionally, but afterwards, move forward without looking back, lest you turn into a “pillar of salt”.