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Thank You – The Power of Gratitude

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Not only on Thanksgiving should we take the time to show gratitude. Just saying thank you from time to time is a good way to appreciate the people around you and also to boost your own mood.

Say Thank You

Recently we heard a story of someone working as a cashier in a fast-food restaurant. It was a student job and at the beginning, everything was new and exciting. But on the second day already things became really boring. Always the same, standardized questions, “Medium or large?” or “Would you like ketchup for your fries?” This went on day in and day out. Then one day, the same procedure as always. Customers came in and the same questions were asked. “Would you like ketchup for your fries?” But then one customer came. She replied “I would like ketchup, thanks. But I also want to say thank you. Thank you that you stay here and for the job you are doing”. The cashier paused, looked up and had an experience that made his day. For the rest of the day his routine job was motivating, even meaningful for him. He was so excited that he remembered and shared his story even years later.

Gratitude

Showing your gratitude will definitely make the other party feel valued and appreciated. It helps to strengthen your relationship.

There is a story of a lady that had the opportunity to go for dinner with two candidates of a high political office on two different days. After that a journalist asked her about her opinion about the two candidates. She said her impression of the first on was that he was the smartest, most eloquent and confident person in the world. The second candidate, however, gave her the impression that she was the smartest, most eloquent and confident person in the world.

This might not only be the case due to gratitude but the story shows what happens if we appreciate other people. The story was mentioned in the book The Charisma Myth by Olivia Fox Cabane.

Be Grateful

Another astonishing reason to be grateful is that it can even make you happier. Shawn Achor suggests the idea of a gratitude journal in his book The Happiness Advantage. At the end of the day, take some time and write down five things you are grateful for, on that day. Studies suggest that this might make you happier. And happiness can help you with your goal setting as well.

Thank You Again

Oh, and of course we also would like to take the opportunity to thank you, dear reader. Thank you for taking the time, thank you for engaging with us and maybe sharing some of the thoughts with your family or friends.

If you have any feedback, idea, critics, comments, or – if you just want to say thank you, we would love to hear from you.

Go and Say Thank You

As a small task for the coming week we encourage you to find five people to say thank you to. This might be as small as your appreciation of the cashier in the supermarket or a bit bigger like a thank you letter to your mom or dad.

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