These are the rarest skills (in no particular order or relevance):

1. Hitting a Baseball

Considering that a major-league pitch can reach speeds more than 95 mph, hitters have only 0.4 seconds to find the ball, decide where the ball is going and swing the bat.

2. Raising a Child

I am not yet a father but I’ve heard it’s amazing…and profoundly challenging.

3. Saving a Penalty Kick

On the soccer field, the goalkeeper’s job is to protect a goal that is 24 feet wide and eight feet high—192 square feet waiting to swallow a ball about nine inches in diameter. During a penalty kick, the goalie has 0.25 seconds to move and block a ball traveling at more than 60 mile per hour.

4. Maintaining a Healthy Marriage

I’m only in year two but some of you going on 20, 30, 40 years will attest to the work required to sustain an enduring relationship.

5. Feeling Sudden Gratitudes

Someone told me a story yesterday. He works for an executive who got his end of year bonus. Eight figures?!?! And the executive was pissed. True story.

He clearly suffers from a mental disease called EINE—Enough Is Never Enough.

EINE can lead to incredible success… and an empty pit in the soul.

For instance, I was sick to my stomach the other night when Alabama coach Nick Saban said after winning his fourth National Championship, “We’ll take a few days and start getting ready for next season.”

Hey coach, what message does that convey? What about taking time to celebrate?

You can’t live like that. You have to stop and celebrate life, every day.

And that’s why sudden gratitude is one of the hardest and rarest skills, and I want you to practice right now.

Without thinking, say very clearly three things you’re grateful for. These are mine:

1. I am grateful for my health because I am recovering from this flu that has knocked New York City to its knees.

2. I am grateful for my passion which entitles me to many more dreams than regrets.

3. I am grateful for my wife—if I had to choose, I would take a fiercely loyal spouse over an eight figure bonus any day of the week!

Now do it! Don’t just speak the words, embody them, infuse them, own them.

Because if you are not grateful for what you have right freakin’ now, you will never, ever be grateful for all the things you hope to have in the future.

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Ed: Lynn Hasselberger