Thank You

9 Jul

“Develop an ‘Attitude of Gratitude’.  Say thank you to everyone you meet for everything they do for you.”  ~ Brian Tracy

Thank You.  Those two words, used frequently by too few, are some of the most powerful words that can be spoken.  Thank You.  They imply that you have received something from someone else, tangible or intangible.  Someone has given you something or done something for you or given you the right of way.  Someone has aided you or impacted your life or made a difference for someone for whom you care.  Someone, other than yourself, has done something for which you benefited.

Thank You allows that person to realize that you have noticed their help, their gift, their contribution, or whatever it is they may have said or done.  Thank You recognizes the other person in a simple yet profound way.  Thank You touches the very heart of another.

In a world that seems to live on selfishness and entitlement, Thank You goes a long way toward mending the gaps between people.  Thank You takes us out of ourselves and makes us realize that there are other people in our lives, other people who care about us and who help us.

We often look around at our society and our world and lament the passing of so many things.  We adopt sour dispositions and tell ourselves that nothing good will ever come about because of the cold-heartedness of others.  We think that there is nothing that we can do to stem the tide.

Isn’t it wonderful to realize that we can change things — and that we can begin immediately — simply by repeating those two words as often as possible?  Of course, to do so, people have to know that we are sincere.  If we say Thank You to everyone we meet and they know that we do not mean it, those words will be useless.  But, if we do mean it, they will know and we will brighten their world.

And, when we brighten the world of someone else, we brighten our own.

FAITH ACTION:  Very rarely do I simply repeat the opening quote.  However, today’s Faith Action is simply that:  Say thank you to everyone you meet for everything they do for you.