Thanks. Thank you. 'Preciate it man.
Thank you, is possibly one of the most overused phrases in the world. Still, showing gratitude is definitely one of the most undervalued gifts we have to offer each other.
Showing our gratitude whether we received a compliment, got bought our favorite snack by a loved one, or had a co-worker be a "girl's girl" when we had something on our face before the meeting, may seem small, but it is a huge deal.
Showing appreciation lets others know we see the effort they put into each day. Displaying gratitude lets those who have helped us feel rewarded for their assistance. Expressing gratefulness lets people who have been there for us see the value that their loyalty and support hold.
Saying thanks is no small act.
With that said, here goes two huge important things that I have learned about gratitude.
1. Always Show Gratitude - Genuinely
Saying thank you has become the norm whenever anyone does something for us.
After all no one truly has to do anything for us, so we should always be grateful, right? Wrong.
With actions that appear to deserve a thanks, thank you, or appreciation getting thrown around like a sock in the washing machine, phrases that show our gratitude can easily become overly used and easily abused. That means it is possible that some of us say "thank you" even when we do not mean it or when someone doesn't truly deserve it.
When we do not like how someone is doing something for us, telling them, although cruel as it may seem at first, is the best way to go. Hopefully it can be said, in a way that is best for them to hear, but then again honesty is and always will be the best policy.
As well, simply because someone is doing something for us doesn't mean that they are doing those things for the right reasons. Before we show our appreciation we must take the entirety of the context into consideration.
Some people do things for others solely for recognition. Others do things to apologize for reoccurring negative behaviors. There are even some that use their actions to distract us from something harmful they are doing currently behind the scenes to us.
When we love what someone is doing for us, great, show appreciation. Since we can all agree to that the opposite is also true: it is more than okay to keep our gratitude to ourselves to avoid being swindled into showing gratitude for acts that are not truly for us or healthy for us.
Gratitude is not an obligatory thing. Simply because someone is offering something does not mean that we have to take it and surely does not mean that we have to enjoy or appreciate it.
Be honest when someone is not doing something you like or when you notice that they are doing it for the wrong reasons. On the other side of the coin be loud and proud when you enjoy what someone is doing and you can tell they are doing it for the right reasons.
The best way to show gratitude is by doing so with an authentic attitude. Show gratitude genuinely from here on out and watch how people's actions towards you also become more genuine.
2. Gratitude Is Best Served for Breakfast
Beyond the average things people consider worthy of thanks like vacations and money or delicious meals and luxurious gifts, lying bright and all aglow with magic, hides the tiniest details of what it means for us to be alive for one day.
These special little mundane treats often hidden throughout our days like Easter eggs before the hunt are the most deserving reasons for our gratitude and if we are smart, we would start the day by being thankful for them.
Our days are a gift despite what they may look like, be filled with, or make us feel at the end of them. The air we breathe, the thoughts we think, the people we care about most. The cars we drive, the scents we smell, the sites we see, the joy we receive and bring to others. All of these things are a gift and therefore are worthy of our appreciation sooner in our day than later.
When we start our days with gratitude we begin to mold the days of our lives into a shape that resembles all the things that bring us joy, peace, comfort, and safety. We magnetize our days to repel what we dislike experiencing and to attract all that we enjoy.
In those dimly lit hours of the morning what we focus on becomes what we do, receive, attract, and create much more of. Therefore, if we want to do more things we love, or we desire to receive certain things, or we hope to attract more joy-filled moments, we would be wise to have our breakfasts with a side of gratitude.
Okay, you do not have to eat breakfast if you don't want to, but like breakfast, gratitude in the morning should be a must.
Life is a beautiful thing. Your life is valuable and so is my life and they are filled with beautiful and wondrous images and acts. We should appreciate all that we are more. And if we want more, it begins by how we start our day. So, choose to start your day with gratitude.
Of course, we do not always get everything we want. I am sure that I could share more about what I need and you could share more about what you want. Yet, showing gratitude is the best way to show we are ready to receive more, while allowing ourselves to acknowledge that what we have right here and right now is not so bad.
See as humans we all are here doing all that we are doing. We are dreaming, on top of breathing, waiting, hoping, and thinking. We are praying, staying, and feeling. We are walking, running, jumping, sitting, laying out, down, and up.
We are fleeing, freezing, fawning, and fighting for our own lives. We are skiing, biking, rolling, giving our all, out, and up. Whilst maintaining, striving, surviving, thriving, and promising.
We are hearing, laughing, crying, sighing, some of us even healing. But nothing more glorious than that most glorious thing to be grateful for, we are being.
You, I, and everyone in between can be grateful, should be thankful because we have the most important thing, and that is the ability for us to be ourselves, genuinely.
Thank you for being here. Thank you for reading. Most of all thank you for being you.
See you next Tuesday.