Meet Paul or Tall Paul as he likes to be called.  He is tall at well over 6 feet and is hard to miss when you arrive at Hilton Grand Vacations on South Beach Miami.  But being tall is not all you remember, Paul is memorable for what he brings to his job, namely a positive helpfulness that is infectious.

When you arrive, you are immediately greeted with Paul’s big smile; he opens the door and quickly moves to help you with your luggage.  He follows this with an introduction that includes an invitation to ask him for help with anything.  He goes on to let you know that he is “always here” and willing to make your stay perfect.

My wife and I experienced Tall Paul back in September but I wanted to wait to share this just before the Thanksgiving holiday.  The reason is because of a story Paul shared with me.  I was down at the front desk asking a couple of questions and getting some towels for the beach.  Without being asked, Paul just overheard my request, ducked into a back room and came out towels in hand with his usual positive smile and helpfulness.  His enthusiasm prompted me to ask him what why he was so happy about his job.  He told me that he was grateful for everything in his life and that any negatives about his job were miniscule compared with the positives.  He told me a bit about his past and the fact that he was lucky to be alive.  Not too long ago he had been in a very bad car accident and was given a low chance of survival much less any chance of being able to walk.  Regardless of all the bad news and forecasts, Paul defied them all and came back to not only live but to walk as well.  Now he is grateful for every day, no, every minute, and it shows in his willingness and desire to help others.

I thought this was fitting for a post just before a holiday that is built around gratitude.  I know Paul has bad days or days when he would rather roll over and call in sick to just have a day to himself,  but he doesn’t, he lives a life of gratitude, he lives a life of “how can I be more helpful?”  What a great way to move forward, to each day be thankful that you are simply living, it puts a whole new spin on things.  Couple that with a desire to make a difference for others and you have a recipe for a meaningful life.

I’m sure Paul doesn’t make a king’s wage but he is rich indeed.  He wakes each day grateful to breathe another breath and he wants share his good fortune, what a great lesson for us all and one to certainly take into the Thanksgiving holiday.  How can you be more grateful? How can you make gratitude a daily thing, not just a November thing?  How can it make your life more meaningful for you and for others?