We should never look down on the “regular people” of our society or idolize the rich and famous. Celebrities, financial speculators, rock stars — none of them actually make the world work, although they might think they do. The most important people in any given organization do not have a big, long title or a plush office. They do not get paid a great deal of money. We should be more mindful of the everyday people, who labor mostly in anonymity, who keep society running. We should collectively learn to better appreciate those who just perform an honest day’s work.

Try this meditation for one minute today, or longer if you wish:

WHO CAN YOU THANK for impacting your day in a positive but “ordinary” way? Why in particular are you grateful for what they did?

The knowledge which stops at what it does not know is the greatest.
—Zhuangzi, Chinese philosopher

How did this meditation go for you? Share your experience with your fellow North Shore Bank employees at shorelines@northshorebank.com and you’ll be entered to win a copy of Mindfulness in Plain English, by Bhante Gunaratana.

If you’d like a daily email reminder to practice one minute of mindfulness, email us with the subject “Mindfulness reminder.”