Be thankful for what you have. Appreciate the small and simple

Hear the words of Kyle Carpenter: “Be thankful for what you have. Appreciate the small and simple things.” These words are not spoken idly, but from the heart of a man who walked through fire and lived to speak wisdom to generations. For Carpenter, a U.S. Marine and Medal of Honor recipient, these words come from the crucible of sacrifice and suffering. They remind us that life’s greatest treasures are not always found in glory or riches, but in the smallest gifts—the breath in our lungs, the smile of a friend, the warmth of the sun.

The origin of this reflection lies in Carpenter’s own story. In Afghanistan, he threw himself upon a grenade to shield his fellow Marine. He nearly lost his life, endured countless surgeries, and carried wounds both seen and unseen. Yet from this near-death, he emerged not bitter but grateful. His call to be thankful is not a shallow sentiment, but a truth born from staring into the face of mortality. To appreciate the small and simple things is to recognize that every moment of life, however ordinary, is a miracle.

History too offers echoes of this wisdom. Consider Anne Frank, who in the darkest shadow of the Holocaust still wrote with gratitude for “the beauty still left around you.” Though deprived of freedom, safety, and childhood, she found joy in the sky, in the hope of love, in the smallest mercies. Like Carpenter, she teaches that those who look with thankful eyes see treasures where others see only emptiness. The thankful heart transforms scarcity into abundance.

There is also a deep lesson here about perspective. Gratitude does not change our circumstances, but it changes how we see them. The ungrateful man sees only what is lacking; the grateful man sees the blessing in what remains. Carpenter’s wisdom points us toward humility, for to treasure the simple things is to confess that life itself is enough. To eat, to breathe, to love, to laugh—these are riches greater than gold.

His words also resist the tyranny of excess. Modern life teaches us to seek more—more wealth, more recognition, more possessions. But Carpenter’s counsel reminds us that peace is found not in accumulation but in appreciation. A thankful heart rests, while a greedy heart is restless. To return to simplicity, to find joy in the small things, is to return to sanity and to rediscover the essence of being human.

The lesson, then, is clear: thankfulness is the key to joy. Those who look for greatness only in the extraordinary will live unsatisfied, but those who find wonder in the ordinary will never lack reasons to rejoice. Carpenter’s life embodies this truth—having faced the brink of death, he treasures each moment of life, however simple, as sacred.

Practical actions flow from this teaching. Begin each day with gratitude, naming aloud the small things you often overlook—the food before you, the people beside you, the breath within you. Practice slowing down, pausing to notice the beauty of simple moments. Resist the pull of envy and comparison by turning your eyes toward what you already have. And when trials come, remember Carpenter’s example: survival itself is a gift, and in that gift, every moment becomes a blessing.

Thus, let Kyle Carpenter’s words endure: “Be thankful for what you have. Appreciate the small and simple things.” For in gratitude lies peace, in simplicity lies joy, and in remembering the value of life itself lies the strength to endure, to hope, and to live fully.