Have a great(full) day
It recently occurred to me that I do not write nearly enough actual Thank You cards. I disappoint myself because I really was raised to do this properly by both my Mom and Nana. Otherwise, how will people ever know how much you appreciate them for who they are and for what they do? It is, of course, a different era … busier schedules, constant and instant cyber communication. So having time to take pen to paper is actually much more limited … blah, blah, blah … excuses.
Nana is the queen of reciprocity, always getting a thoughtful card in the mail promptly, the moment she feels grateful. She’s pretty much like Mother Teresa, with more kindness to give than anyone I have ever known and a way of moving through life with unparalleled grace. So, I don’t know I will ever be just like her, because I am me … kindness also at the ready, but operating in a manner that generally resembles a tornado … always running here and there, carrying an inordinate number of bags, yoga mats, cups of coffee or iced tea and bottles of water. My notes of appreciation, therefore, go out in a somewhat senseless time frame (sometimes months to a year) marred by an I’m-sorry-for-taking-so-long-to-thank-you caveat.
But taking the time to tangibly thank someone is actually a critical part of creating a better world. I like to view it as a personal positive energy injection that gently emanates a poof of goodness outward across the globe … because even though the dose of gratefulness we administer might be directed solely toward a specific person, the ripple effect is outstanding.
Just think about it. When you write a note of thanks, don’t you feel fantastic? Cultivating gratitude in itself is such a pure, heart-full experience … a practice many of us initiate on our yoga mats, then carry off with us into our daily lives. Then, transforming that state of thankfulness into a concrete expression takes it to the next level … a worthwhile endeavor that leaves the thank-er infused with sense of clarity and creativity and the thank-ee smiling in satisfaction.
Now, visualize the impact this spirit of honor and recognition has on the route between the thank-er and thank-ee. You’ve got the postal workers, who I am certain pick up on the vibes when nice people enter their buildings to drop off such happy letters … because positivity, sadly, always seems so out of place there. Then you have your colleagues, family members, friends and strangers on the street who bear witness to your increased radiance … maybe it will lift them up for just a moment … and if they find out gratitude is behind your glow, then they will adopt the practice as well! How about after the thank-ee receives your communication? Now, their colleagues, family members, friends and strangers they meet on the street experience the increased energy frequency and really feel the effects.
Our words, thoughts and actions make bigger impacts than we can ever know. And if you don’t like writing cards, any other expression works the same. Find the Thank You that honors you … as well as the person you’re thanking. MAKE THE TIME TO THANK SOMEONE TODAY!