He was the top NBA draft pick a couple of years ago. A teenager. Right out of high school. A gifted athlete. An instant millionaire.
And, apparently a real thankful guy.
Before thanking his momma, his shoe company, his agent, his high school coach, and the man upstairs, he said:
“First of all, I want to THANK MYSELF.”
Being thankful is a good thing. But this guy took it to a new level. An absurd level. I have never heard of thanking yourself. I’m not even sure why anyone would want to do that.
Here’s the leadership lesson: we need to be thankful people.
Whether you are a famous teenage millionaire athlete with a shoe deal who can dunk from the three-point line, or a balding middle-aged middle-class weekend-warrior with a three-inch vertical and no shoes—you have plenty to be thankful for.
Specifically, we need to:
1. Thank God. If our heart is still pumping blood and our lungs are still sucking air, then we owe God thanks—every minute of every day.
2. Thank our family. All of us are who we are because of the love, care, and help of family. Husband. Wife. Dad. Mom. Brothers. Sisters. Sons. Daughters. We owe them lots of thanks.
3. Thank our friends. Friends who are “born for adversity” and friends who “stick closer than brothers” deserve our thanks. (Proverbs 17:17, 18:24)
4. Never thank ourselves. Also, it’s probably a bad idea to congratulate ourselves and to honor ourselves.