Greatness stands firm on a foundation of gratitude. Sunshine soothes it as luck lights a future of fortune, but rain roots it as gratitude grasps the reins of a future etched in effort and endurance. Grateful for the sunshine, yes — but equally for the rain.
Within the heat of change and challenge, prosperity emerges — not as an escape, but as a crucial and constant companion of struggle. Falling, failing, flailing — these are not struggle’s lamentations of loss but an invitation to rise with resilience.
Patience prioritizes plans and privileges, since as appealing as rushing can be, it disrupts the probable pace of growth. Each stumble is a stanza, each misstep a measure, composing the marathon of a life well-lived as gratitude pulses through every wondrous moment.
Guided by gratitude, to act without needlessly wondering and wandering is to work with unyielding will, wielding the wisdom to know why. Knowing why becomes the wind beneath how high you fly, as unwillingness wastes while you wait, purpose weaves worthwhile ways. A resolve of grit with grace, turning every setback into a stepping stone, every loss into a lesson, so that every trial and tribulation transforms into a triumph.
This divides the bystander from the builder — to know there are things that happen to people and people who make things happen is to cultivate yourself as a commodity, treating value as something you create, not simply inherit. Are you the storm or just another leaf scattered by it? Are you the force or the follower?
Gratitude begins where comfort ends. It blooms in the moments when the pain of staying the same outweighs the fear of change, compelling people to plant themselves in unfamiliar but fertile soil, seeking counsel where outmatched, outclassed and out of depth since proximity to greatness isn’t just intimidating; it’s inspiring.
Like fuel to a fire, inspiration ignites ambition, and ambition demands sacrifice — a blaze of discomfort and preparation. Yet within this blaze lies freedom, not as an escape from the weight of the world, but as the strength to bear it.
True freedom is found in the purpose of every pause — the choice to carry what matters most and to let go of what doesn’t. Much like the strength to overcome the weakness that being liked equates to being needed, promoting instead the timeless truth that a purpose with permanence prevails over a popularity that perishes.
Much like how the emotions of hatred and disdain masquerade as armor but bind the soul in chains. Freedom rings by weighing doubt against determination and pride against humility, breaking free from the paralysis and prison of passivity — daring instead to make milestones into moments of meaning.
Yet, like perfection, forever beyond reach, the pursuit of it alters the impossible into the inevitable. In this pursuit, architects of action embrace difficulty, hearing gratitude’s persistent reminder: “Not done, just begun,” as any instance of failure forges a foundation of how we are shaped by gratitude, unraveled by thanklessness and haunted by the specter of insignificance, teetering on the edge of fulfillment and forgetfulness in the haze of life’s crazy maze.
Every impression, every fleeting day of introspection, intention and invention, befits a mosaic of moments. Moments to be seen through another’s eyes and offer something in return, since perspective isn’t something we’re born with — it’s a gift we trade, a truth we learn and a mirror we turn. These moments of life — a fleeting, fiery, fragile life — are gifts reminding us that every passing day is the youngest we’ll ever be, yet wearily imprinted with the weight of the wisdom of all we’ve withstood.
Yet, this wisdom is not a book you read once and shelve. Working words into wisdom and stitching speeches into stories means nothing unless the work is done and maybe even won. These books are written with the ink of experience and bound by resilience. Much like the grit of generations, this history is earned, shared and carried with every step forward.
Gratitude is embedded in the American experience as it establishes an ensemble of unity, ingenuity and continuity that extends across our country. A respect for our fellow Americans that transcends the benefits bestowed upon us — it amplifies our shared affinity to navigate both adversity and prosperity.
Like how our leaders, experimenters, innovators and builders manifest greatness through their daring capacity to wield an unbreakable spirit, alongside our national identity that upholds freedoms “to” and “from.” Where America’s ability to reflect bravery, integrity, empathy, diplomacy, tenacity, equity and authenticity, allows us to be free from tyranny, complacency, mediocrity, disarray, apathy and futility.
And with this greatness, may roots of gratitude continue to grow through our country’s ability to reach beyond what we believed our best could be — united, not just in hope, but in the enduring state of building a brighter, boundless future.
David Temprano is a student at the Pritzker School of Law. He can be contacted at [email protected]. If you would like to respond publicly to this op-ed, send a Letter to the Editor to [email protected]. The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of all staff members of The Daily Northwestern.