The most thankful months of the year in the United States, are November and December. Thanksgiving provides a yearly opportunity to share with our loved ones, the thankfulness we feel in our hearts. Thanksgiving for many, is a day full of wonderful foods, family fun, memories that are shared amongst generations, and thankfulness. A tradition in our family; is to take turns, going around the dinner table, and explain what it is we are thankful for in our lives. Sometimes the thanks of others are humorous and joyful; other times it is filled with emotion of past memories or those that have left our lives. But, we are always thankful. Why is it then, that the feelings we give and receive on Thanksgiving; are often not given or received daily?
American lives are filled with a plethora of choices; choices that discourage our abilities to thank those that we often come across. What we need to better understand, is that through a thankful heart, comes a thankful mind; resulting in happiness. Challenge yourself to say “thank-you” at least four times, daily. It may not seem difficult, but start with saying thank-you with your morning cup of coffee. Here’s a story that inspired me.
I love my morning or afternoon latte. I know the local coffeehouse baristas; who without fail begin making my beverage before I reach the counter to order. By the time that I have completed payment, the “grande Dana” is ready for my enjoyment. I usually say “please” and “thank-you” when ordering or receiving my latte; and in general when asking or receiving anything in my daily life. But, what I noticed after a few hours in the coffeehouse is that others do not. I sat in the coffeehouse for an hour and twenty minutes, and counted the number of patrons who did not say either “please” or “thank-you.” I was astonished! Of the 38 customers, only 11 said the two magic words. Each of the other 27 customers started their order with, “I will have…” or “I would like…” or “Gimme a …” Their beverage was given to them and they walked out the door for their workday. Some of the patrons did tell the baristas to “Have a nice day,” but I still don’t believe it makes up for not saying “please” or “thank-you.”
You are wondering by now, how does this play into the role happiness has on our lives? The barista who is not told “please” or “thank-you”, will feel as though they are worthless or non-existent. Now imagine the patron who was not thankful, went into work and was not thankful of someone who had helped them on a project. At lunch, the patron was not thankful to the waiter or the person to whom held the door at the entrance. Then the person wasn’t thankful during the drive home from work, for the person who let them go ahead of them at the intersection. When the person returned home and the garbage had been taken out or the dishes cleaned; they were not thankful. The patron, who is not thankful, often spreads the un-thankfulness. Thus, being thankful leads to happiness. If someone “thanks” you for your time, you feel acknowledged for your work. You then begin to feel happy about your role in your organization, your role in your family life, and your role in our world.
The seed for today is; don’t wait until Thanksgiving to be thankful. Utilize every opportunity to spread your thankfulness around you. Thank your loved ones; before hanging up the telephone, expressing how much you are thankful they are in your life. Thank the waiter or barista at your restaurant; because their service helped you receive something you enjoy. Be thankful for the little things that someone does for you; because if you add all of the little things up over time, you have a great big pile of things you could either be thankful for, or just a big pile of nothingness.
