Gratitude

The Thank-You Season!

In this day and age of continuous negative news cycles and disheartening social media onslaughts…did you ever stop to consider that we all have the power to make life a more positive experience, not only for ourselves, but for others, as well.  I believe that our ability to express a sincere, “Thank You” has the potential to motivate, create good will, make peace, and solidify friendships, love and commitment like few things can!  In this season of Thanksgiving, let’s seriously consider these two compelling words…and perhaps in the process we’ll become more mindful of using them more often all year long!!

“Remember, being happy doesn’t mean you have it all…it simply means you are thankful for what you do have!”   Tribute Journal

The Power Of Saying Thank-You!

♥  Saying thank-you creates an attitude of gratitude!  Imagine my delight when I heard that a few of the first words my sweet, two-year-old grandson, Elliot, learned to say were please and thank you!  This important lesson of learning to be grateful for what your parents and other loved ones do for you at such a young age can’t help but have a profound influence on your view of the world around you.  I’ve certainly found that the amount of appreciation I am able to express has a dramatic impact on how I relate to others and my perspective of their thoughtful contributions to any situation they may encounter.  An attitude of gratitude seems to nurture a genuine hope in all the good things that life has to offer.  As parents, isn’t this one of the greatest desires of our hearts–at least as far as our children are concerned?

“Having an attitude of gratitude everyday makes us more aware of the many blessings that come our way!”  Jake Wilding, Elliot’s fun dad

♥  Saying thank-you promotes helpfulness!  It seems like such an obvious conclusion, but researchers who conducted a Harvard Review study on gratitude found that receiving a sincere thank you has a significant impact on our ability to be helpful.  Their findings showed a more than 50% increase in the amount of additional help that was offered as a result of appreciation being expressed; it’s validation that our contributions are meaningful.  All I know, is that I can vouch for the fact that when my husband notices the things I do to help make our household run more smoothly, it enhances my feelings of being valued, making me want to work even harder to show my strong commitment to our marriage.

“I appreciate you…especially your heart!”  Tom Wilding, my kind hubby

♥  Saying thank-you keeps us humble!  While we’d all like to think that we can forge ahead in life relying on little more than our own skills and ingenuity, the truth is, we need each other!  I have a dear friend who worked as a charge nurse on our maternity and NICU unit for many years until her recent retirement.  Her leadership skills were impeccable, she respected the doctors on our staff, but most importantly, she always took the time to express her genuine gratitude for every nurse she worked with and each one’s unique and individual talents.  You see, while she was very capable in her own right, she had the foresight and humility to realize that it took a tremendous amount of teamwork to give our patients the quality care they deserved, so she was always quick to say thank you and be appreciative of the everyone’s valuable contributions!  Acknowledging that our success in life is dependent upon the special relationships we have with others, and expressing gratitude for the efforts they make on our behalf to help us become the best versions of ourselves…is the epitome of being truly thankful!

(via Vintage Nurse)

“Teamwork divides the tasks…and multiplies the success!”  Unknown

♥  Saying thank-you improves health and fosters resilience.  Wow…that seems like a tall order for two simple, little words!  But according to research studies done on this very topic by Lisa Aspinwall, PhD, a psychology professor at the University of Utah, it was proven that grateful people are more optimistic because they notice more good in their lives and that translates into a healthier immune system, which ultimately means you harbor less stress.  In fact, it was determined that being mindful of the things you’re grateful for each day actually lowers inflammation in the heart and improves rhythm.  Professor Aspinwall also concluded that even in the face of tremendous loss or tragedy, such as a terminal diagnosis or death of a loved one, it was possible for people to feel thankful; this positive energy often served as a buffer against the ill-effects of their circumstances because they tended to focus their attention outside of themselves to viable treatments and supportive relationships, rather than adopting an inward “woe is me” self-pitying view of life.

“If the only prayer you ever say is ‘Thank You’ –that will be enough.”  Eckhart Tolle

♥  Saying thank-you is just the right thing to do!  While expressing genuine gratitude may take a little time and effort, in a world that seems to focus more on all the negative fodder around us, if something as simple as expressing appreciation can increase our happiness and positive outlook on life…why not do it more–seems like good karma to me!  Not only is saying thank you a good social skill that might brighten someone’s day, our own lot in life seems to appear better when we are thankful.  My dad always used to say that being grateful, for even the smallest things…our families, good health, a new day to go out and make a difference, to name a few, brought him a sense of contentment in his life that was hard to get any other way!

Happiness is Saying Thank-You!

Here are just a few things I think are good ways to express gratitude and have an overall happier outlook on life!

· Write in a gratitude journal.  Think of something new each day.

· Show thoughtfulness to others.  Goodness seems to be contagious.

· Write a thank you note.  Acknowledging kind deeds expands our hearts.

· Tell someone sincerely how much you really appreciate them!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thank You season!

“Our thanksgiving should be perpetual.”  Henry David Thoreau

I would love you to share any thoughts you have on being thankful.

–My heartfelt thanks to all of you who follow along here!  Mary