We must find time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives

“We must find time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives.” said John F. Kennedy.

Today is Thanksgiving, a public holiday in the United States where people show gratitude and celebrate all they have to be thankful for. Every time I read the above quote from JFK — which is commonly shared at this time of year — I stop to consider those people I want (need?) to show gratitude to.

Thank the people who make a difference

Sadly, it’s actually somewhat remarkable to be shown gratitude nowadays. Whether that is a comment on peoples attitude towards giving gratitude or a commentary on the busy nature of our lives — where many of us are so wrapped up in our own busyness that we often forget to pause and say thank you — I’m not sure.

What I do know is that — while I’m a Brit and so don’t celebrate Thanksgiving as a public holiday — I do set regular reminders for myself to prompt me to show gratitude to those who make my life better. I believe it’s not only good to let others know I’m grateful for their support, but it’s actually good for me too!

Whether it’s friends and family, colleagues, peers or clients, when I show gratitude I often find one or both of the following happens:-

• I personally get a warm glow, a boost to my personal energy and a spring in my step for the rest of the day.
• the person who I’ve’ve shown gratitude towards is more likely to repeat whatever it is I’ve’ve shown them gratitude for!

For instance – there’s few of us who wouldn’t appreciate getting more comments on our blog posts, more re-tweets on Twitter and more business through referrals. So while I’m’m not advocating showing gratitude with the expectation of receiving a reward, what I do know is that it’s human nature to be predisposed to helping those who we know are grateful for our help!

How Can You Show Gratitude?

Try making the act of showing gratitude a part of your daily routine. It’s fairly easy to do when you think about it!

• If you have an article shared or a comment retweeted on Twitter – make time to express thanks for those who re-tweet you.
• If a colleague or friend has referred business your way – try sending a handwritten thank you note in the post.
• Have you read a good book recently?  Why not send a good book to someone who you recall has recently recommended a good book to you.
• Can you think of a colleague who has made your life easier? Consider writing a colleague LinkedIn recommendation.

Conclusion

[tweet_box design=”default”]Showing gratitude to others is often a fairly small task on your part but can mean a great deal to others.[/tweet_box]

Try incorporating gratitude into your daily routine. At worst, you’ll feel better about yourself and you may just be surprised at the difference it makes to your relationships with others too!

To my friends and family in the United States, Happy Thanksgiving – I’m’m grateful for you friendship and support!

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