I have heard from many different places that it is gratitude that keeps one grounded, amidst the turbulence of life. I’ve tried to adopt this attitude of gratitude throughout most of my adult life, and found that in most cases, it’s in the very least helped remind me of just how blessed I’ve been in my life. To think of all of my family, my awesome friends, the roof over my head, the shirt on my back, food to eat and plenty to drink, man. I’ve got it good. I think it’s fair to say that I’ve been born of privilege – no – I’m actually certain of it.

Without boring the reader of this blog with too much of my bio, my parents were hustlers, and brought me and my sis along for the ride. We were born into a middle class living that our parents made from $2000 and 2 fresh-off-the-beehengi (airplane) suitcases in 1975. I grew to enjoy a pleasant youth, all thanks to my folks. They took down multiple jobs just to make ends meet, and even hid critical medical ailments from me so I wouldn’t be stressed in school (but I found out later anyway). Ultimately they hustled through the crazy nonsense of navigating an unforgiving largely white America as a FOB in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s.

So whenever I’m challenged with the idea of something being difficult in my own life today, I try to remind myself, damn it’s not that bad, Peter, come on. REALLY? And then I try this interesting thing called gratitude that I all too often forget to do, caught up in the Tinseltown-to-Westside LA plastic-gilded vapidness of external appearances. Yes, it does rub off on you, no matter where you come from, if you stay there long enough. This gratitude has helped me simply take stock of the tremendous value of the people, relationships, and experiences I’ve been blessed enough to be able to enjoy in my life, and take my mind and focus off of what it would naturally gravitate towards – the negativity, the insecure social comparisons, the shit talking, general haterade, and all that other bullshit that might feel good in the short term but is like a cigarette – it’ll get you in the long run.

I actually enjoy practicing deliberate gratitude because it actually makes me feel better. It is kind of crazy that this is something I have to deliberately do with an intentional consciousness about it. I think then to myself – have I become so imbued with the nonsense of my life, stuck in this morass of “first world problems” that I’ve allowed myself to be so impacted with?! How is this even a factor or sucking any kind of energy from my being? Sometimes I look at myself with utter disgust when I see that side of who I’ve become today. I remember a time when the simplest joy in life was to get a six pack, go out to the beach with a few of my boys, and just hang out and talk over a bonfire for HOURS. I remember a time when I wasn’t so caught up in acquiring things to satisfy my ego or my desires. I remember when I could just play a game of poker until 5 in the morning and just bond with friends.

All this to say, gratitude is what reminds me that I shouldn’t be so caught up in the desires and wants of the world, but truly appreciate and cherish what I’ve already got right in front of me. Otherwise, it seems that the rabbit hole of wanting more, better, faster, sexier, prettier, cooler, bigger, richer, nicer – well, that’s the other option for those who forget what they should already be grateful for – and to these folks where the grass is always greener elsewhere, there is no end. And it’s a damn miserable state of being in constantly.

Easier said than done, I bet, for anyone reading this!