Not many people where I'm from get to do what they love to do

Hear the heartfelt words of Marlon Moraes, a warrior of the fighting arts, who declared: “Not many people where I’m from get to do what they love to do, and I’m so thankful.” This utterance, though humble, resounds with the echo of countless lives lived in struggle. It speaks of beginnings in hardship, of places where dreams are fragile, where labor often feeds the body but not the soul. In this statement lies the recognition that to live one’s passion is not common, but rare—a treasure granted to the few who endure trials with faith, and to those whom fortune smiles upon after years of toil.

The ancients knew this truth well. In every age, there were lands where opportunity was scarce, where men and women bent their backs to survive, not to flourish. Yet among them, a few rose, through perseverance and providence, to follow not only the path of necessity but the path of destiny. Moraes speaks for all such souls: that to rise from humble origins and stand in the arena, doing what one loves, is both a victory and a blessing. To be thankful is to remember those who could not, and to honor the roots from which one has grown.

Consider the story of Pele, the boy from the poverty of Brazil who kicked rags stuffed into socks before he ever touched a real ball. Where he was from, many did not rise beyond labor and hardship. Yet his passion for football burned like a divine flame, and he carried it with discipline until the world itself bowed to his name. Pele’s story, like Moraes’s, is a testament to the rare fortune of living one’s love—and the gratitude that comes from knowing how many others were not granted the same chance.

Moraes’s words also reveal the noble spirit of remembrance. For the danger of success is forgetfulness—the illusion that one has always walked among light, forgetting the darkness from which one emerged. But to be thankful is to never lose sight of the struggle, to never forget the friends, neighbors, and family who labored in silence, unable to follow their own dreams. Gratitude transforms triumph into humility, and humility into inspiration for those still climbing.

There is also an unspoken call in his words: to treasure and protect the rare gift of pursuing one’s passion. For not many are so blessed. Too often, men waste their chance, grow careless with the work they love, or allow pride to cloud their vision. Moraes reminds us that such opportunity is sacred. It must be met with discipline, with reverence, with unceasing labor, lest it slip away like water from open hands.

The lesson, then, is clear: if you have been granted the chance to follow what you love, be fiercely thankful. Do not take it lightly, for it is a privilege denied to many. Let your gratitude be visible in the way you work, in the way you serve, and in the way you honor your beginnings. And if you are not yet living your passion, do not despair—seek it diligently, prepare for it with patience, and hold fast to hope, for fortune often comes to those who labor faithfully.

Practical wisdom follows: give thanks each day for your opportunities, however small. Use your blessings to uplift those who walk behind you, creating paths where none existed. Share your story so that others may find courage to chase their own. Above all, guard your passion, for it is both gift and responsibility.

Thus, Marlon Moraes’s simple words rise into timeless teaching: “Not many people where I’m from get to do what they love, and I’m so thankful.” It is a reminder that passion fulfilled is not a right, but a blessing. Honor it, live it fully, and let your gratitude echo beyond yourself—so that one day, more may share in the same joy.