“When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.” ~ Maya Angelou
I think the best gift you can give someone in the world (and yourself) are two little words that pack so much power in them:
Thank you.
I think gratitude can go a long way for yourself and others. When you are thankful for what you have in life, you will focus on those things and not dwell on what's missing. You will be more accepting of things beyond your control and not feel frustrated when things don't go your way. You will value those things more because you are thankful for them. You will make others feel good about their presence in your life by letting them know that you are thankful to have them in your life. This will help them to feel better about themselves and recognize that they too have an impact on others by being who they authentically are.
We are all human and want to know we are being appreciated. There's nothing worse than feeling like you are giving your all to a relationship/friendship and not feeling appreciated. By saying "thank you", those two simple words can change a person's day. It can show them that they are appreciated. That's not to say that those two words are the ONLY way to express gratitude and appreciation. But it's a great start.
You would think it would be easy to say those two little words. But many people have a hard time saying them. I think that with those two words, there has to be some sort of surrendering and vulnerability attached. You have to be able to humble yourself, put aside your own ego and give credit to someone else. And that is not easy for some people to do.
Giving credit to someone else does not mean you are devaluing your contribution to the world. It means you're recognizing someone else's contribution to the world. We are all here for a reason. No one person can do it all. We all have our own gifts and purpose in life. And there is nothing wrong with giving notice to someone else's presence in the world and showing gratitude.
I spent the last two days of 2013, thanking some people in my life for what they have brought into it. My heart was telling me to do that and I am learning that it is okay to let your heart rule some decisions when it feels right. I think if we spent more time appreciating the people in our lives, whether they are lifelong friends or just people you interact with on social media who inspire you, to even that person in your neighborhood who always offers you a smile and "Good Morning", we'd feel lighter and the world on a whole would be happier.
As I have blogged before, it is okay to be vulnerable and in life, we all have to surrender at some point and be accepting of things beyond our control. Saying things like "Thank You" and "I'm Sorry" are ways to practice not being afraid to be vulnerable and being more thankful in life.
I think we need more gratitude in the world. It continues to baffle me when people get suspicious or think I have ulterior motives when I say those two words or tell them how awesome I think they are. I believe in speaking life into people. It doesn't mean you're not being honest with them. It just means you're freely expressing how great you think they are. To me, it's another way of expressing gratitude for their presence in my life.
With that said, I want to say THANK YOU to those of you who read this blog on a regular basis and have gone on this journey with me. 2013 was a great year and 2014 will be even better.
If you decide to end your year, saying "Thank You" to someone for their presence in your life in 2013, I would love to hear about it. Trust me, it'll make your heart feel lighter and may inspire that person to continue doing what they're doing since someone noticed enough to say "thank you". Happy New Year, people!
“God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say 'thank you'?” ~ William Arthur Ward
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