Tomorrow is a day that is woven into the fabric of what it means to be an Australian and a New Zealander. We commemorate the lives of those who have traversed the path of war, their courage and commitment so that today we may enjoy the fruits of their sacrifice in a free and democratic society. We also celebrate the continued service of our military troops who continue to defend our freedom as a country.
Australia is a country where we have the freedom to pursue wealth and happiness, look out for one another and to give a helping hand to the least fortunate. The Credit Suisse 2013 Global Wealth Report based on median wealth has Australia at number one with a median $233,504, and at number two based on average wealth at $402,578 per person behind the Swiss.
While you may or may not feel wealthy, we all too often forget what we have and the opportunities we have each day living in Australia. Sometimes we get so caught up in our day to day survival or existence that we forget about who and what we have in our lives. We forget about the beauty of life that we have to enjoy because of the giants who have gone before us in our history as a country.
So tomorrow I will be doing two things that you could do as well that will set the mood for you to have an amazing weekend.
The first is to reflect on the courage of our service men and women, their commitment and sacrifice so that we can enjoy the freedom and opportunities that we have today. The second is to reflect on what is good is in my and your life. We all have our problems in fact the only ones who don’t are lying with their feet up in the cemeteries. So just take the time to reflect and take stock of your health, your family, your friends, your work, your career, your business, your community, your state and your country. Spend some time between 15-30 minutes to contemplate and to write your reflections down.
You’ll be surprised to get a glimpse of the giants of yesteryear that have blazed a trail for us and what we have because of them. You’ll also see how fortunate we are with the people and opportunities we have surrounding us in our lives.
In response to their sacrifice, the least we can do to honour their contribution to our Australian way of life, is to be the best you and I that we can be, and to follow in their footsteps and become giants for the next generations of Australians to follow.
Lest we forget.
Wishing you a safe and reflective ANZAC weekend