In a world where we could have just about everything we want at a moment’s notice, we have to pick and choose where we allocate our energy and always remember that while good things are fleeting,

Great Things Take Time

While the title might make it sound like this is a Christmas newsletter, I’m not going to do to you what the retail world is doing, and give you a beat before we jump too far into the holiday cheer. 

That being said, let’s dive into a typical holiday practice with a little GTTT filter.

Have a certain topic you want me to dive into in these newsletters? Send it here or reply back to this email.

If you were forwarded this email, you can subscribe and join the Great Things Take Time Community to get content from me (and Frankie) every Wednesday.

Table of Contents

• Making A List

• Moments with Maurice

• What's Got Me Smilin'

Making A List

Gratitude is a practice we’re taught since we were little kids: “Did you say thank you?” It has to be one of the most common phrases I hear my friends with kids say to them. 

Our elders work to teach us the importance of it because a. No one likes a spoiled kid, and b. If someone does something nice for us, the least we can do is show that we acknowledge whatever sacrifice or effort that person put in, even if minimal.

As we get older, we learn that gratitude isn’t always shown with a simple “thank you”. There are other ways we can express it, other things we can do. But maybe you’re like me, and you might have lost the plot.

With 42 around the corner, there’s a lot I need to improve upon to level up as I get older. One of those things is gratitude, something that is practically forced down our throats during this time of year, on tea towels, decorations, you name it. But as cheap as the word may feel when the calendar hits November, it’s a necessary thing. 

This month, I was challenged by a friend to examine my gratitude towards those who mean the most to me and take stock (chicken stock?) as to how I’m doing. But the challenge here is that this isn’t my own personal review where I can B.S. things (consciously or subconsciously) into giving me the answer I want; I have to actually include that person in the conversation. 

Wow, asking someone what their opinion is on how I’m treating them? Not just putting my own agenda on them? I truly am ahead of my time (can you detect the heavy levels of sarcasm?)

But in all seriousness, sometimes the simplest things, a “thank you,” might be the hardest to do. There are people in our lives who mean so much to us, and we feel like just saying those two words isn’t enough. We plot and plan for big shows of affection, we make big promises, and then life gets in the way and we fall short. Our idea of a perfect show of gratitude is great in theory, but our loved ones can’t subsist on theory.

At this point, on the cusp of 42, one might think I should have a simple “thank you” all figured out, but how can I be sure if I’m not taking stock?

Step 1: Make the list.

Rapid fire, without allowing for much time to explain why, I was asked to make a list of everyone I’m grateful for. My mom, sister, brother, Mack, coworkers, close friends, cousin James, Frankie... The common thread of these people is that they have all taught me values that have carried me to this point in my life. Without them, I’m not sure I would be the person I am today. Of course, this list of people can be long, but for the purpose of this exercise, I had to pick a selection of people that I knew I could handle. 

Step 2: Check it twice

Before including them in the conversation, I tried to discern how each person might want to receive gratitude or love from me. In the case of my mom, it’s quality time, but also hearing it verbally. For her, spending physical time with me means more than gifts to express gratitude. As a mother, it feels like the ultimate appreciation to have your child want to spend time with you and actually do it. 

My brother is similar, and we have a mutual understanding that it’s not the thing we’re doing, but that we do it together. Sometimes we’re doing something unique and fun, and other times we’re just chilling at home. Neither is better than the other as long as we are present with each other.

As I went down the list, it felt like a common thread: all the people on my list appreciate quality time spent together as a way to feel appreciated and not forgotten about. Well, this is what I think, time will tell if I’m right. 

While going over this list, I was also asked to consider when was the last time I expressed gratitude to these people. Do I think they know it? 

Step 3: Find out if I’m naughty or nice

Now is the fun part, checking in with each person. I have from now until December 1st to reach out to each person to see if I’m meeting their standards. I feel like I’m expressing gratitude appropriately for their influence in life, but do they? The caveat is that it CAN’T be over text. I have to do it in the most personal way possible. If I see them in person, it needs to be done that way. If they live far away from me, I need to make a FaceTime/phone call, whatever will allow for the deepest connection. 

This coincides perfectly with the start of the holidays, as I will start seeing more people in person for events, and with December 1st as my deadline, there is truly no reason why I can’t make it down my list. This feels like a good starting point to examine the strength of my relationships going into 42. After all, I can do all the prep work in the world to make myself a better individual, but if I haven’t taken time to include the people who have given me so much, then what is it all for?

Want to join me with your own list? Below, I’ll break down how I’m going about it

Moments with Maurice

If you only pause to reflect on your life for one moment today, do it now.

If you’ve been journaling along with me, take the time to pause on the reflection and write down your answer to the prompt. Even if it feels silly in the moment, looking back on what you’ve written down can be eye-opening when you start to see patterns form.

Because no matter what, there is always something to smile about.

Did you SE(e)MA(h) Downshift?

SEMA, pronounced see-mah (as in see more cars), was held this past week in Las Vegas, and gave me a chance to appreciate the artistic side of the auto world. It was a car and gadget HEAVEN filled with all kinds of toys that car lovers like me love. There were big companies all the way down to individual car owners who had spent years working on projects and wanted to showcase their work. Some of what I saw was creativity that one might not associate with hunks of metal. The red truck below was my favorite thing I saw and was a project by an individual owner. The first blue car below is a G90 M5 wagon.

For me, this world is a welcome escape because it’s far from a necessity of daily life; it’s a form of art and self-expression.

Death Valley

While in Las Vegas for SEMA, we took a trip out to Death Valley to explore. Almost everything we saw was abandoned, but the infrastructure was still there. At one point, when we stopped at a gas station, we got asked if we were kids out filming something with daddy’s money. I couldn’t help but laugh, “Sir, I have white in my beard. I am definitely no kid.” While the emptiness was beautiful, it was also a little eerie, and we made sure to get out of there by sundown.

Uncle Momo?!?

Hands down, the best part of my trip was seeing my family. We planned it so I was casually walking down the aisle at Whole Foods and ran into them. “Uncle Momo?!?! Is that you?!?!” I don’t know whose smile was bigger, mine or theirs.

What Happens in Vegas…

…gets shared in the newsletter. Pictured below are Mikey and Elvis (whom I got to share the trip with) as well as some of my meal from Bourbon Steak, complete with a Twinkie-inspired dish with caviar. You know what I always say, nothing goes together better than Twinkies and caviar!

Remember:

-Adrian