Thank you.
These two words are so simple, yet incredibly underused. One of the most important things that any one person can do is say, “thank you,” and recognize the efforts of others.
Here are some ways that you can make the extra effort to say thank you:
- Pick up the phone and thank someone. This may seem like a novel concept in this day in age. Take time to thank them for their business, their friendship, their support – make it meaningful and don’t expect or ask for anything in return.
- Thank someone for doing the little things. It may inspire them to do something even bigger.
- Thank someone with food. I always love a thank you basket of food & good eats. I love giving them, too. I associate tasty treats with happiness – so I think good things about a person who shares food, whether it is baked goods, candy or a loaf of bread. Find out what their favorite type of food is and attach message telling them why it is being given to them.
- Inquire the best way to say thanks. Talk to your clients, peers, spouses, siblings or anyone else you may want to share your thanks with. Find out what they like and what makes them smile. Make a list of these things so you can always revisit it. Then, when you have the opportunity to show your appreciation, use the things on your list to give a “thanks” that is specifically tailored.
Gratitude in the form of the words, “thank you,” is not just a small act of acknowledgment; it is a gift in and of itself.
So in the spirit of appreciation, THANK YOU for taking the time to read these words. Use these words today – regardless of what the thanks is for, express your gratitude. You never know whose day you could be making brighter.
As Gordon Hinckley says, “Gratitude creates the most wonderful feeling. It can resolve disputes. It can strengthen friendships. And it makes us better men and women.”
