BY: A A RO N A L E JA N D RO T E X A S F FA F O U N DAT I O N E X E C U T I V E D I R E C T O R
ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE
T
he Bible (Luke 12:48) teaches to whom much is given, much is expected. My journey with agricultural science education started in 1980, and over the decades, I have witnessed many accomplishments for which we should be grateful. With the new format of of this magazine, the inaugural publication is a great chance to discuss the importance of gratitude.
for opportunities, achievement, and standards of excellence. He floored me with a question, “Aaron, what is the opposite of gratitude?” After a moment of reflection, he said “the opposite of gratitude is entitlement.” Whoa! Wow! Wait!
I quickly learned at Boys Ranch that I was not entitled to anything. I had to earn every privilege, opportunity, and accomplishment. I became part of a culture with high expectations. In the classroom, with our extracurricular activities, and in our assigned work responsibilities, Mr. Chandler and Boys Ranch expected our best and helped us learn how to do our best. The expectation was we would be successful, and over time it became our expectation too.
The entitlement mentality, unlike the attitude of gratitude, almost immediately produces negative feelings and repercussions. The perspective of the entitled when they don’t have what someone else has is to complain, grumble, Start with Gratitude moan, whine, and protest. All lead The Boys Ranch FFA program had As we pause, reflect, and look to excuses, gossip, backbiting, and high expectations for its members. beyond the immediate, we can cultural chaos. As a freshman, I was placed on the put our gratitude in perspective. I Jr. Chapter Conducting team, said A Grateful Testimony encourage people to vocalize, say the FFA Creed, was on the Jr. Farm it out loud, and share with others what you are grateful for. It doesn’t As some of you may know, my “GRATITUDE IS THE take long to pinpoint life, freedom, early teen years in Dallas were not trending in the right direction. family, friends, abundance, choices HEALTHIEST OF ALL and faith. When asked how does My mom knew a change of HUMAN EMOTIONS. it make you feel, most people environment was needed. I was THE MORE YOU respond good, positive, energized, shocked when she sent me to the Texas panhandle to a place or ready. EXPRESS GRATITUDE called Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch. My FOR WHAT YOU Avoid an Entitlement Mentality dorm parent, Winston Chandler, put me in an agricultural science HAVE, THE MORE I was recently visiting with Texas course and the FFA organization. LIKELY YOU WILL FFA Foundation board member Tom I didn’t sign up and I didn’t HAVE EVEN MORE TO Ziglar about organizational culture think it was fair. My entitlement and skill development in young mentality made me very negative. EXPRESS GRATITUDE people. I was referring to drive and Thankfully, the culture around me FOR.” - ZIG ZIGLAR the energy/capacity to look around began to change this negativity.
38
