I’ve been thinking about it, and I haven’t been going about it all wrong, but I’ve really missed something fundamental.

The thing is, I started life in a strange way. The first seventeen years of my life were simply very unusual, and could be seen to have stacked the deck against me achieving much in the way of success or happiness. Mainly because it was clear that the people around me generally didn’t care much about who I wanted to be, or where I ended up. As long as I didn’t make waves.

But you know most of that. Or… some of it.

That said, I reflect on that and see myself as I hightail it from the cult at age 17. I see my lack of firm moral center, my lack of any kind of solid self-image, my total introversion, my complete inability to have empathy for people, and I see me as I was then: full of dreams and fears and fantasies. And many of those fantasies etc were bad. Bad, bad. And I carried the burden of knowing that I had done very wrong things. Wrong, wrong. And I wanted wrong things.

But not now. I’ve changed. My life is so completely, thoroughly, and wonderfully blessed. I’m still learning about myself and crafting myself. I’m not done.

And this process has involved so much more than me.

As I think about the people who have pitched in, touched my life, and influenced me in myriad ways, I realize they’re innumerable.

But I’ve decided to number them. I’m going to count my blessings.

Okay, I’m not going to count all the people. But I AM going to publish a blog post EVERY WEEK that thanks five to ten people that deserve my thanks. That’s EVERY WEEK. And If I feel like it’s not going fast enough, I’ll do it more. There are lots of you out there, so I need to get started.

I’m calling it the Thanks Series.

It will be published every week. Probably on Sunday. Look for it soon.

You will undoubtedly show up.