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The Power Of Saying Thank You To Improve Your Life

By Melissa 8 Comments - The content of this website often contains affiliate links and I may be compensated if you buy through those links (at no cost to you!). Learn more about how we make money. Last edited June 17, 2013.

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My son and I were reading a book about a boy and his teacher when my son turned to me and said, “Who was your favorite teacher?”  The answer was easy–Ms. Cherpas.  She taught my honors English class, and she was my cheerleader from the first class.  When she found out I was writing a novel in my free time, she offered to read and critique chapters for me.

She inspired me to become a teacher.

I had thought of her frequently over the years, so that night I decided to look for her on the Internet.  My son sat excitedly behind me, but our search was short-lived.  A quick Web search turned up her obituary.  She had died just 5 months earlier; she was only in her early 60s.

I had wanted to tell her thank you for years, but I never did.  I was afraid she wouldn’t remember me.  I was too busy with my own life.  I let the years slip away, and now my chance to thank her is gone.

The Power Of A Simple Thank You

The power of thank youWe’re often self-involved, worried about our own life and our own situation.  If you have debt that you’re trying to kill with gazelle intensity, that may be your sole focus.  If you’re struggling to even pay your bills, you may feel miserable, depressed and hopeless.

Expressing thanks to someone takes you outside yourself and your problems.  You focus on someone else instead.  And somehow, after expressing thanks, you feel better.

John Kralik, the author of 365 Thank Yous, found himself at age 53, going through a second divorce.  His current girlfriend had just broke up with him, and he was 40 pounds overweight.  His children were distant from him, and his law firm was failing.  Seemingly everything that could go wrong did.

When he went for a hike alone and got lost, he took a break on a rock.  Then he heard a voice that said, “Until you learn to be grateful for the things you have, you will not receive the things you want.”  Shortly thereafter, he wrote his son a thank you note for his Christmas present.  He wrote a thank you every day, and from the start, the thank yous seemed to bring good things back into his life.

Humans Connecting With One Another

Sometimes watching the news can be difficult.  There are wars, cruelties, school shootings like the horrible one at Sandy Hook.  Sometimes it can feel like there is no good in the world.

But in the face of the tragedies, there are always stories about the good in the world.  In the wake of Sandy Hook, people started doing 26 random acts of kindness for the 26 victims killed at the school.

Just recently, depressed by the devastation caused by the Moore, Oklahoma tornado, Peter benefited from a random act of kindness from the person ahead of him at the Caribou Coffee check out.

Thank yous are an excellent way to complete the circle from acts of kindness we receive from others.  If you can’t thank the giver personally, you can return the favor for another stranger.

Of course, you don’t start thanking those in your life because you’re expecting good things in return.  However, if you take the time to thank and appreciate others, to show your gratitude, to become immersed in the human experience, you just might see your life improve.

According to Guidepost, “Research shows that grateful people are happier and more likely to maintain good friendships.  A state of gratitude, according to research by the Institute of HeartMath, also improves the heart’s rhythmic functioning, which helps us to reduce stress, think more clearly under pressure and heal physically.”

When John Kralik was experiencing his financial and personal rock bottom, he chose to look outside himself and reach out to others with the simple act of offering a thank you.  In return, his outlook and his situation dramatically improved.

Have you see the power of saying thank you in your own life?

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Last Edited: 17th June 2013 The content of biblemoneymatters.com is for general information purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Visitors to biblemoneymatters.com should not act upon the content or information without first seeking appropriate professional advice. In accordance with the latest FTC guidelines, we declare that we have a financial relationship with every company mentioned on this site.

This article is about: Giving, Thank You

About Melissa

Melissa, a mom to three (ages 15, 10, and 9), blogs at Mom's Plans where she writes about homeschooling, health eating, frugal living, and paying down debt. She works as a freelance writer and virtual assistant.

Comments

    Share Your Thoughts: Cancel reply

  1. Michael @ The Student Loan Sherpa says

    Nothing feels better than a thank you coming from an unexpected source. If more people took the time to do this, the world would be a much better place.

    Reply
  2. Casey Lewis says

    Trying to get better about this in my own life. Sometimes I feel like it’s just an understood thing. But you can’t under-estimate the power of a good “Thank You.”

    Reply
  3. Tushar @ Everything Finance says

    Appreciating what you have is so, so important. The ability to be thankful is a gift. We all have moments of clarity and thankfulness, but it’s a difficult practice to remain thankful.

    Reply
  4. Sharon J says

    Very nice. It is an awful feeling when find out it’s too late to say ‘Thank You’. I’ve done it before also. There are many things that we can say thank you for everyday. We just have to look. We’ll then notice more of what God is doing in our lives a bit more clearly.

    Reply
  5. Jeromie says

    Melissa,
    Just last month my favorite teacher passed away as well. I knew she wasn’t doing well and had even written her a thank you letter, but hesitated in sending it until it was too late. It’s hard fighting guilt, but it’s also been a motivating reminder to follow through on important yet scary things.

    Reply
    • Melissa says

      Jeromie, It’s a beautiful letter. I’m sorry you didn’t get to send it. I know firsthand how bad that feels when you’re denied the opportunity to say thank you even if it is in part because you didn’t act soon enough. I should have told my teacher thank you years ago.

      Reply
  6. jim says

    I concur with Melanie. That is a beautiful letter. I wasn’t going to post a reply until it dawned on me – duh! Say thank you. So thank you for sharing that very touching letter.

    Reply
  7. Conny says

    Never been so touched. I read articles to article. Amazing and soul lifting. Thank you so much.

    Reply
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