I think I'm one of the most fortunate people in the world. I

Hear the words of Rob Machado, surfer and seeker, who declared: “I think I’m one of the most fortunate people in the world. I travel around looking for the best waves and appreciate it every second.” These words, though simple, shine like sunlight on water. They remind us that the wealth of life is not found in gold or power, but in freedom, passion, and the ability to dwell fully in the present. His voice carries the spirit of one who has learned to live in gratitude, seeing each moment not as a burden to endure but as a gift to treasure.

To call oneself fortunate is not to boast, but to bow in humility before life’s blessings. Machado does not speak of fortune in riches or crowns, but in the chance to unite his soul with the sea. His fortune lies in the call of the ocean, in the rhythm of waves that rise and fall like the heartbeat of the earth. He teaches us that true wealth is not measured in possessions, but in the alignment of one’s passion with one’s path. When the work of your life is also the joy of your soul, then indeed you are fortunate beyond kings.

The image of traveling for the best waves is more than a surfer’s tale—it is a parable of life itself. We all travel, in body or in spirit, seeking those rare moments when beauty crests before us. For Machado, it is the ocean’s wave; for others, it may be art, music, discovery, or love. The wave is not constant—it appears, peaks, and vanishes. Thus, his words teach us the necessity of attentiveness: the wave of opportunity comes only for a moment, and if you are not present, it will pass you by. His appreciation “every second” is a discipline of awareness, a refusal to let beauty slip through the net of distraction.

History offers us many echoes of this truth. Consider Walt Whitman, who wandered America’s roads and rivers, singing of grass, sky, and humanity. He too declared himself fortunate—not because of wealth, but because of the simple act of being alive and awake to the world. His poetry was a wave he caught with every breath, celebrating the sacred in the ordinary. Just as Machado finds joy in each curl of the sea, Whitman found joy in each blade of grass, proving that fortune belongs not to those who possess much, but to those who see much.

The emotional power of Machado’s words lies in their union of humility and wonder. Many who travel forget to marvel, treating new sights as routine. Many who succeed forget to savor, treating blessings as expected. But he declares that he appreciates it every second. In this, he stands as a reminder that gratitude is not an afterthought but a way of living. The heart that thanks life constantly is the heart that truly lives, for it does not let the moments slip into shadow but illuminates them with joy.

The lesson for us is luminous: seek the waves of your own life, the passions that make your heart rise. Do not settle for a life that leaves your soul dry. And when you find your wave, ride it fully, without distraction, without regret. Cultivate gratitude for every second of the journey, for the wave will not last forever. Life’s beauty comes in crests and falls; to live well is to meet them with presence and appreciation.

Practical wisdom follows: pause each day and ask yourself, “What is my wave? What do I live for?” Then give yourself wholly to it, not with half a heart, but with the fullness of joy. Practice gratitude, not only for great moments, but for small ones—the smile of a friend, the taste of a meal, the silence of dawn. In doing so, you will live as Machado lives: fortunate, not because of circumstance alone, but because of the way you choose to see.

So let his words be remembered as a tide that rises in the soul: “I am fortunate… I travel for the best waves and appreciate it every second.” For the true teaching is this: the waves of life are fleeting, but the gratitude you carry makes each one eternal. Be awake, be grateful, and be bold enough to seek the waves that call your soul. Then, like Machado, you too will live as one of the most fortunate in the world.