Gratitude.
In school. In families. Amongst friends.
Teaching… How and When… to say, “Thank You”.
And more importantly… HOW TO ACCEPT… gratitude when it’s offered to you… especially… as an EMERGING MAN.
Looking ahead to the upcoming 2021 holiday…
No. Not the actual holiday… THANKSGIVING… later in the week… but the traditional Wisconsin Holiday of OPENING WEEKEND of the 9 day, gun deer, season.
I was always grateful for this traditional weekend… was it because of the deer themselves?
No.
I do love deer though. I was so close to a doe one time, I could have reached out and touched her with my outstretched hand.
I kinda wish I would have tried.
But it was still the coolest feeling… sitting on a bucket, tucked up against a double cedar tree… and she walked right past me… less than an arms length away.
Those are cool experiences, but… not why I was Thankful for the weekend.
I appreciated the traditional weekend… because… it was the only time I was able to spend time with my dad… it was only two or three days a year… but because I was just a kid… I had to stick close by him, until I was old enough to hunt on my own.
Others were along also. My brothers, here and there, my cousin, and my uncles.
All crammed into an early 80’s Ford LTD! Headed NORTH.
Aaah, the memories.
One thing I learned from my dad, that I’m grateful for still today, is his instruction, when a deer is in the distance and headed your way.
“Let em’ come. Let em’ come.”
I don’t know if my dad ever read Sun Tzu’s book, The Art of War, but the general has the same instruction, in regards to enemies… I’m paraphrasing, but he says concerning armies… “If they are coming, let them come. If they are retreating, let them retreat.”
It’s good advice.
My ENCOURAGEMENT to you this week, as an EMERGING MAN, if someone offers you some sort of help, just say, “Thank you”.
If you, as an EMERGING MAN, help someone else… and they say, “Thank you,” just smile and tell them, “You’re welcome.”
It really is as simple as that.
But… sadly… there are those that have never learned that.
I have been more than happy to help others and say, “You’re welcome”.
I have not been as eager to accept help, or even a simple “Thank you”, offered by a supervisor I used to work for, as he would give those out for you doing your job.
At that time… that really hacked me off. I have since grown, and appreciate, anyone I work with who offers up a “Thank you”, when they appreciate how I perform my duties.
It felt weird at first… but now it’s welcomed.
I was able to put all this together and produce a book, that said, “Thank you”, to a teacher/coach I had when I was young. It’s on Amazon, titled “When We Were Lions”.
As an EMERGING MAN we use what skills, and resources we have, to ENCOURAGE, EQUIP & ENGAGE within our circle of influence.
Having an attitude of GRATITUDE is developed like any other characteristic… you have to ENGAGE with it, use it, develop it.
Then maybe, just maybe, you can truly appreciate, THE REAL HOLIDAY later in the week… THANKSGIVING.
theemergingman.com 