Thank you. Thanks. Best Regards. Warm Wishes. Sincerely. We write these little email and letter closures nearly every day. They have been engrained into our minds as the right thing to do when sending a note to someone, and even more so if that email or letter pertains to asking for something. Sure, it makes sense- you wouldn’t ask for something without your every day manners. But, recently as I typed away at an email asking for someone’s time I thought to myself, “I wonder just how thankful this person knows I am for the request at hand.” To be quite honest, the fact that the thought of the meaning behind the ending even crossed my mind sort of took me aback and made me nudge away from the discomforts of my slouched stance in my office chair and reflect for a moment on just how many times I had said, “Thank you” without actually taking a moment to realize what it was I was thankful for.
I recently began reading a book, “365 Thank You’s”. A book about a man’s journey of taking the time to share his gratitude with all those who had done something he was thankful for. It’s by no means a book of thrill or suspense, nor is it one that leaves you staying up an extra two minutes at every turn of the page. It is however, a book that makes you take a step back and remember just how important it is to be thankful for even the smallest gestures life, people and circumstances send our way.
I’ve always known it’s important to be thankful for what you have and what you’ve been given, for anytime you feel abundance in your life, you’re setting yourself up for an even more fulfilling life, which almost sounds silly, eh? Having plenty gives you more? Such an ironic, but true way of life. But, sometimes even being a person who knows just how important gratitude is can forget when to take the time to share it with those who deserve the recognition.
As I left my office the day of the email closing awakening, I found myself thinking about all the things I was sincerely and deeply thankful for. It took less than .3 seconds to come up with the general, “Job, health, home, friends, opportunities” subjects. But, I found myself, while realizing the heavy significance of the first acts of gratitude, also needing to look beyond the basics. I then began to ponder what else in my everyday life was I truly thankful for, and so, that night I snuggled up with a notepad and pen and wrote down every “outside of the box” thing I could think of. Rather than novelize them, I figured I’d share a couple, in hopes that perhaps you too have experienced such joy in your everyday life that can sometimes easily be forgotten after the quick interaction that takes place…
A glimpse at a week of thankfulness:
-The homeless man on the street corner every morning I exchange“Looking good!” banter with.
-The barista at Peet’s who for no reason gave me a free latte, just, “because”.
-Smiles back from complete strangers of all demographics.
-Phone calls from home.
-Nostalgic thoughts that caused a smile in solace.
-The way the sky looked like it had been painted onto a canvas one day that week.
-An intense workout that left me exhilarated.
-Reaching out and opening up to someone I had disconnected with recently.
-Office laughter and light heartedness one random day.
-Going to sleep on time and waking up refreshed.
The list went on for a full page, but by the end of it I couldn’t help but realize that if I hadn’t taken the time to write it all down, I probably would’ve let all those moments of joy go by with no more than the moment they occurred. Interestingly enough, I began to think about how often I’ve let negative moments and circumstances suffocate my thoughts and realized that all of those negative moments happened almost as quickly, if not more so as the positive ones I encountered in my week. These thoughts combined made me realize one thing- daily gratitude is essential.
In world filled with a zillion (seriously, maybe even more than that) opportunities to feel bogged down by negative situations, stories or circumstances, we sometimes forget just how often positive, enriching and enlightening moments happen in our everyday lives. I sincerely believe, for every moment we are cut off while driving, delivered bad news at work, or disrupted by our daily routines, we are given smiles from strangers, a favorite song played, or a win from our favorite ball team that we oftentimes don’t give nearly the attention we give those unimportant, insignificant, negative occurrences to. So, I challenge you to take a moment each day to find at least a few things you are thankful for in the day. I promise, the more you do it, the less you’ll even be able to remember those petty things we let overcome our mindset for the day.
Thank you for reading… and I sincerely mean that with every ounce of my gratitude.
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