Thank You

There is definite power in the two words Thank You. It's common courtesy to appreciate someone helping you, and yet those words aren't as common as they used to be. Do you notice it too? Opening a door for someone usually gets a smile and thank you in return. Everyone feels good about it. Other times they don't even notice it or just expect you to do it. This really doesn't bother me, but I see it happening more often. A person feels good helping others, and I guess that is enough of a reward.

 

At Home Depot, I noticed a woman struggling to put bags of topsoil into the back of her SUV, and asked if I could help. The puzzled look on her face told me she wasn't sure what I was up to. I smiled telling her if it were my wife, I would want someone to help her. That seemed to make sense to her. She smiled back and said, "Thank you, that would be great." When I finished, she thanked me again, and we both felt good about a positive moment in our day.

 

Looking for the good in others makes a difference in our personal joy and happiness. Years ago, I created a list of things I'm thankful for. It began with my family and friends and quickly grew to include all of the blessings in my life. It's a long list, and I keep adding to it. I felt so good when I read it, I decided to make it into a prayer of thanks. I get up early each morning, while the house is quiet, and thank God for my blessings. It energizes me and puts me in a great mood to start my day. It's addictive, and I love it. Make your own lists and see how it feels.

 

Once my wife and I had an argument. Now I am not saying this only happened once, but I remember this trivial event for what happened afterward. I don't remember what the argument was about, but we both walked away with fire in our eyes and smoke coming out of both ears. I found myself focusing on any little thing she did that bugged me, which just fueled my irritation. Then I remembered that only I can change how I react to things. I settled down, realizing how lucky I was to have her in my life. I made a list of everything I was thankful for about this wonderful woman. It was a long list, and soon, my anger was replaced with love. I found her in the kitchen, explained what I had done, and thanked her. All of a sudden everything was loving and normal again. When someone gets under my skin, I try to find something positive about them and focus on that.  

 

Who are you thankful for? Thanking others is a simple act that creates positive energy. 

Catch them doing something good and thank them for it. See what happens. Do it with your family and your friends and anyone that helps you. We are so quick to complain about problems in a restaurant or retail store, so isn't it fair to thank them when things go well? Be a good Samaritan and make the world a better place, one thank you at a time.

 Also, don't forget to smile and say 'you're welcome' when someone thanks you. 

 

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