What Do You Appreciate?

As a complement (and also an antidote) to my previous post, What Will Be Demonized Next, I have taken frequent commenter Randy Bosch's advice, and ask you this question:

What do you appreciate? Big or small, cosmic or personal, what are some of the things that make a difference in your life?

Just off the top of my head, here are a few of mine

1. Human communication abilities. From the origins of spoken language beyond grunts 50,000+ years ago to the invention of the alphabet, the vowel, and the printing press on through to today's many digital means of expression, it's our ability to share ideas, thoughts, and feelings with others that defines our species.

2. Becoming a swimmer at a young age. I've done lots of sports in my life, but I'm most grateful for swimming. It's been a wonderful life-long sport for staying in shape, clearing out my mind, and meeting other people. Plus, it doesn't cost much or take up a lot of time. Every now and again I compete in meets, but what I most enjoy are the workouts.

3. Netflix. I'm glad someone married DVDs with one-day turnaround distribution! What I especially appreciate is that so many wonderful films from the past are available (again) at a very low price: I (and you!) can relax with Kurosawa, Bergman, and Truffaut.

4. Jet Travel. The fact that for not much money I can leave San Francisco Airport and twelve hours later be in China or Europe continues to amaze me.

Question: What things — large or small — do you appreciate?

Comments

[Cam Beck]

1. Salvation
2. Freedom
3. Sacrifice
4. Discipline

[Dean]

I appreciate among other things -
- Family
- My good fortune or luck to have been born when and where I was
- Bicycles

[Karl Boggs]

My quick list:
Kindness, Connection, Awareness

Which help to create:
Beauty (as in adding something nice to the world, things in nature, etc.), Laughter, Silliness, Play, Learning,...

[Brett Slater]

These'll be quick -- some obvious, others not so much

* My Wife -- My muse, my inspiration.
* Those Guys - My 3 best friends from college (as in, 'Oh, you hang around with those guys?"). my confidantes, my bad influences, my supporters, who I love dearly , still confide in, and still talk to regularly, even 15+ years after school.
* Music - All of it, but particularly Steely Dan and The Allman Brothers, the former for their painstaking, deliberate perfectionism in composition, instrumentation, and arrangements, and the latter for their improvisational skill...
* Talent - wherever it's found.

[Visionary]

I mostly appreciate when someone, you, me, anybody notice their own mistake. Its a greater feat than not making mistakes at all. People, for example, who step on your foot and try to ignore it annoy me greatly. Once I looked at one such person and said "the right word is "sorry""

[Alex von Oech]

You sure have a picture for any and every topic/question now don't you?

[Randy Bosch]

Great things to appreciate above!!
A quick add, not in order of importance:
- A grateful and contrite heart;
- Agape love;
- The love of family and friends;
- Freedom of expression (Arts & Letters);
- The Word of God in its truth and purity;
- Johann Sebastian Bach;
- Orson Wells (!?!);
- Health and good humor;
- Beauty of God's creation, and being free
to roam in and experience it, at will;
- Humility;
- Respect;
- The products of constructive creativity.

[Visionary]

Alex, your question.. Was it adressed to me?

[Ribeezie]

With respect to blogging, I appreciate my readers. They are what makes my content matter.

With respect to life, I'm appreciative of all that is good around me (spouse, family, friends)... The ability to have another day towards accomplishing my goals.

[John S.]

Roger,

The more I think of it, the longer the list gets. Many great comments here already.

In the context of creativity: the people who created the idea of political and economic freedom that gave the

people who created the products and institutions (mostly businesses and research universities) that enabled developed world to rise out of poverty

and people and institutions (like Muhammad Yunus and the Grameen Bank) who are creating ways to lift the undeveloped world out of poverty.

And people like you, Roger, who are helping us to be more creative. Blog and books and balls of wacks, etc. Thank you.

John

[Darin Boyd / Braingerous]

There really it so much to be thankful for that I could leave a really long list. I decided to just pick one thing that sticks out beyond the obvious personal items.

I appreciate Google.

Google has changed my entire world. The internet is a revolution, but Google has really made that revolution practical for me. There is rarely a day in which I don't use Google several times for business and personal information.

I have taught myself more than one trade via Google and Amazon over the past several years. I have built a profitable business using Google as a main advertising medium.

Google also helps me deal with my crazy head. I am prone to churn ideas and questions around in my head when I'm trying to go to sleep. Now, when I can't remember the name of that TV series with the aliens that was centered around the idea of racial tolerance, Google is there to gently tell me, "Alien Nation. Now go to sleep!".

I am envious of my nephew. I can't imagine what it would have been like to have Google at the age of seven. It is a different world now.