Q : Have you always been grateful ?
A : I think I have always been very conscious that I am the product of many influences in my life . I have paid attention to that . I do not know if the gratitude muscle started when I was a kid . Probably not . I think most people only fully realize impact as they mature . The first real evidence I have is when I celebrated my 50th birthday . I invited seven friends , people who had influenced my life , and I expressed to them what they each had meant to me . This grew into the idea that , ‘ I do not want to be one of those people who , when they lose their friends , they have things left unsaid .’ That is what prompted my journey of gratitude , which was taking a year off and visiting one person at a time , spending time with them and revealing , in detail , how they had impacted my life .
Q : You invest a lot of energy in organizations like Just in Time for Foster Youth ( JIT ). How does helping youth align with your mission of gratitude ?
A : I have been fortunate to have the assistance and good luck that I have . The youth that JIT works with did not really have anything to do with the hand they were dealt . One of the reasons I like JIT is that they are dedicated to reshuffling the deck and helping the youth play a better hand going forward , and that speaks to me .
Q : You also act as a mentor for youth . How important is it to have a mentor ?
A : Having someone who can share life experiences with us and save us from making some of the same mistakes or to help us capture untapped opportunities is a powerful thing . We call them mentors , parents , friends or uncles . I think it is a gift of life to have a mentor or to have anybody , no matter what their title , to provide some mentoring to you .
For the young adults who are served by JIT , there is an absence of a family structure , which is normally where the people who provide that guidance come from . In that case , a mentor role is critical because it compensates for the loss of the family who traditionally play that role .
Q : Can it be difficult to express gratitude for people if you do not have a community or many meaningful relationships ?
A : There is an opportunity to awaken oneself to relationships with people who are trying to reach out . Think about teachers , coaches , people who went out of their way , not just to teach you a sport or a subject , but to teach you something about life . They may not be called mentors , but they are playing a mentoring role . I think it would be rare to not have someone in your life to be grateful for . We have to raise consciousness . The ability to express gratitude is a practice . The first time , like anything else , is a little bit awkward , but an awkward expression of “ thank you ” is far better than silence .
www . jitfosteryouth . org
NOVEMBER 2021 | GBSAN . COM 79