What if I told you that creating a culture of appreciation comes down to just two words? It’s true. It’s the words “thank you” that make the difference. Mother Teresa once said, “We are more starved for appreciation than we are for bread.” In bringing more gratitude into your life, you may have to work on your language. Think about it – when someone says “Thank you,” what is the correct response? It’s “you’re welcome,” right? What do you hear instead? “No problem,” “no worries,” “yep,” “just doing my job,” “it was nothing.”
When someone says “thank you,” they are giving you a gift. When you say, “It was nothing,” you are taking that gift and rejecting it. STOP IT! From now on, simply say “you’re welcome” or “my pleasure.” Change your language, and you’ll complete the cycle of appreciation.
People always ask, “What’s wrong with ‘no problem’ or ‘no worries?” The subconscious mind doesn’t hear small words like ‘no.’ So when you reply, “No problem,” the other person’s brain is thinking, “Problem? There’s a problem? What kind of problem?” If you change the response to “You’re welcome” or “My pleasure” it’s a whole difference energy – “Welcome – Ahhh” “Pleasure – Ahhh.” Why plant a negative seed if that is not your intention?
Also, when someone gives you a sincere compliment, “That’s a beautiful sweater you’re wearing.” The correct response is “thank you.” But, to appear humble, we say things like, “This old thing?” “Got it on sale at Marshall’s.” “Two dollars at the Thrift Store!” Stop telling people in effect, “This sweater isn’t really that nice after all” and just say ‘thank you.’ It’s a complete sentence. So say it, and then SHUT UP! You can err on the positive side, “Thank you so much, this is one of my favorites.”
Here’s some other food for thought, when someone gives you a sincere compliment, and you brush it off or don’t accept it, you may be telling that person, “You’re an idiot for liking this.”
Stop that!
By taking my “Five Thank You’s a Day Challenge,” you’ll develop the habit of sharing your gratitude in five different ways every day. Once you’ve gotten to five, you’re done (but you don’t have to be!)
1. Write down five things that you are grateful for in a gratitude journal
2. Verbally tell someone how much you appreciate them.
3. Write a thank you note.
4. Write a letter of appreciation.
5. Meditate on the things you are grateful for for five minutes.
Take my “Five Thank You’s a Day challenge and for the next month. When you experience the benefits of appreciation, I know you’ll want to keep up your practice.
For more information, visit my website at Grategy.
Read Are You Eligible for the Research and Development Credit? and the other informative articles in this issue of Soar to Success magazine.
