“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.”
G.K. Chesterton
With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I thought I would take a moment and talk about thankfulness. Whenever I really stop and think about my life, I realize I am blessed beyond measure, but so often I allow the little things to get me down or frustrated. One habit I need to nurture is a habit of thankfulness. So many of the “challenges” I face are truly first-world problems; when I am in the midst of those challenges a healthy dose of perspective is order, and one way to find that perspective is by thinking about the things I am thankful for. I present below 20 things I have to be thankful for – 10 personal items and 10 career-related. Perhaps you can use this to think about your own list of thankfulness.
Personal:
- Family – I have a wonderful family with successful children.
- Friends – It is great to have friends you can count on, and I have people in my life that I know would drop everything if I really needed them.
- House – I am so privileged to have a beautiful house with a solid roof, heating and air conditioning, modern appliances, and comfortable furniture.
- Health – not only am I healthy, I have top-tier health insurance and access to modern, clean, and well-equipped healthcare facilities.
- Food – ham and pineapple pizza, chocolate, French fries, chili soup, and an entire Thanksgiving feast. I know, I had you at ham and pineapple pizza.
- Electricity – I am working on a laptop while sitting in a well-lit room while my washing machine finishes a load of laundry. Reliable power is something we should never take for granted.
- Music & Art – music and art bring beauty and emotion to our world.
- Travel – I have been so blessed to have been able to travel widely inside the United States with several trips to Europe and Central America. I have seen Bergen, Norway at the height of fall colors and the Eiffel Tower lit up over the Seine. I even spent a weekend in Russia without the proper paperwork!
- Pets – I complain about my pets all the time, but I’ll admit they really do bring a tremendous amount of joy and peace into our lives.
- Science Fiction & Fantasy – I love science fiction and fantasy. Pretty much all of it! Marvel, DC, Star Wars, Star Trek, Dr. Who, Battlestar Galactica, Stargate SG-1, the Expanse, Lord of the Rings, GoT, Wheel of Time, Falling Skies, and so much more!!
Career:
- Peers – It is all about the people! I am so thankful for my peers both in higher education AV as well as the broader pro AV community. This community feels much more family than simply friendships and business relationships! In addition, the connections on social media with #AVTweeps and #AVinTheAM are priceless!
- Career – I can’t believe how lucky I am to have found a career in AV, something I never even knew existed as I was growing up. My job at Iowa State University (ISU) really gives me a sense of accomplishment.
- Pro AV – While some of the stuff we do is mundane, the fact remains that this work is cool! We get to play with amazing gadgets that, when integrated correctly, can bring a sense of magic.
- Supervisors – I am lucky to work for people who believe in me and what our team is doing at ISU, from my senior manager and CTO all the up to the CIO and President.
- Team – I can’t even begin to describe how grateful I am for my team. They are simply a talented, professional, and fun group!
- Professional organizations – AVIXA, HETMA, and ETC have all played a major role in making me the AV professional I am today. Oh, and back to #1 – these organizations have introduced me to so many outstanding people!
- Students – this is why we do what we do in higher ed AV. Our noble mission is to support the education of the next generation of leaders. The students bring life to campus and keep us feeling young!
- Faculty – complain though we may, I am constantly amazed by what our faculty bring for our students. They have a passion and depth of knowledge in their areas of expertise that is contagious!
- Support Staff – I couldn’t make it a single day at ISU without the support of our faithful IT, facilities, HR, finance, and procurement staff. I am thankful for the ongoing support they bring!
- Conferences – let’s be honest for second, virtual or in-person, at this point conferences like HETMA, ETC, and InfoComm are simply family reunions, and I am so thankful for them!
That’s just a drop in the bucket! We could talk about a crazy range of other things to be thankful for: freedom, vehicles, oceans, Amazon Prime, beds, in-house integrators, wine, games, books, first responders, vacations, trees, sports, mountains, technology, running water, the fact that AV is IT, and let’s not forget toilet paper! Here in our industrialized nations, every single moment there is something we can see, hear, and touch that we can be thankful for.
In addition to all that, I’m also thankful for you, the readers and listeners of Higher Ed AV Media. Thank you! What are you thankful for? Let us know below or on the socials!
