Grateful – My Word of the Year by Marlo Berliner

I gave a lot of thought to what word would represent my mantra for this year and came up with grateful. I know that’s more of a word that means you’re looking back at the past, but I think it’s important for going forward with the right focus and perspective. We all want success, but what is success if everything else in your life falls apart? We all want happiness, but is it right under our noses and we’re just not seeing it? We want more, but perhaps less would actually make us happier.

After watching my self and so many of my close friends and family get put through the ringer in recent years, I’ve decided to keep life in perspective and be grateful for every good moment that comes my way and to never take a single one of them for granted. I have so many friends who either received frightful diagnoses, folded long-standing marriages I thought would stand the test of time, had tragedy strike in unimaginable ways, or worst of all, had to bury one of their children. You see enough of that sorrow and all of the sudden life comes into stark perspective. All of the sudden, you hug your own children tighter, you complain less about your own aches, pains, and problems, you realize you’d take more laughter over more money any day, and you forgive your spouse a little easier, just grateful that he’s still by your side on this roller coaster of life.

So this year, I will strive to be grateful that I’m still breathing and that everyone I love is still breathing. I will strive to be grateful for whatever progress forward that I make, even if it is small and doesn’t make me a ton of money, or a big success. I will strive to appreciate everything that I have, and keep any wants in perspective. Most importantly, I’m going to show my friends and loved ones that I’m grateful for them still being in my life. When I’m so much more fortunate than others, this is the least I can do.