Choose to say thank you...because you want to, not because you want something.

People like to be thanked.  Sometimes.

Have you ever thought about it?
How many times have you been thanked for something? It just feels good to know you are appreciated for something you did for someone else.

Thankfulness is a mutual action. The giver gives the "thank you." The receiver chooses to accept it. Both require action in some form. The "thank you" receiver feels appreciated while the "thank you" giver feels grateful and enjoys the feeling of the gratefulness.


Or do they?

Sometimes it's hard to accept a "thank you."  It requires, for a moment, a sincerity or unexpected humility that comes with receiving an unexpected blessing.

Other times, especially in our modern thinking, saying thank you may imply a form of manipulation. This thought may be uncomfortable as you read this but the truth is, sometimes, people say thank you because they want something. They feel like there is a reward for just saying it.

When we use gratitude or a "thank you" for this purpose, we may get what we want, but we sacrifice the cordial feeling of true gratefulness in the process. That seems like a great price to pay for an act that should be priceless, and sincere.

Can you think of someone in your life, past or present, that deserves a meaningful, no strings attached, thank you. This person could perhaps be someone you know personally or never met in your life yet they did something that uniquely made an impression or truly represented the spirit of giving or sacrifice.

CHOOSE TO THANK THAT PERSON, SINCERELY, FROM YOUR HEART.  No expectations, no strings attached, just a true heartfelt thank you.

Seek to find moments in your life when something that someone has done or something that someone said, helped create a defining moment in your life-AND THANK THEM.

Benjamin Franklin once said, "When befriended, remember it. When you befriend, forget it."

Now here may be the harder part for some of you reading this now. Take for example, you are on the other side of a "thank you."  It will take you a moment to receive the "thank you" because you might be caught off guard. It's okay.

CHOOSE TO ACCEPT THE THANK YOU WITHOUT SECOND THOUGHT OR SPECULATION. As you process the "thank you", choose to affirm that you are worthy to accept these words. 

Remember, as we go through life, we are all planting seeds of growth, ideas, inspiration, admiration, and just plain goodness randomly as we meet people on a daily basis. Sometimes we might not even realize it. When you get caught being "good" or supplying one of those things I have listed, be willing to accept that you are worthy of the gratitude being offered to you. Sometimes that is harder than giving it.

These are things in life we have a choice in deciding how we will react.

GRATITUDE-BOTH GIVING AND ACCEPTING-is a powerful, beautiful blessing that should cost nothing but effort.

So I challenge you today...

MAKE GOOD CHOICES.®-Choose to remember someone who did something that deserves recognition. You need not make it a big deal. A simple note, a phone call, or a passing thank you, if done sincerely, will be easy to give and receive.

And it will make the world a better place to live.

Nanci Scarpulla, M.Ed
For Make Good Choices.®

To learn more about how to make the world a better place to live, go to www.imakegoodchoices.com.