Say Thank You

Say thank you to someone today.

I'm not talking about just a general "thanks" but a genuine thank you for something specific that you truly appreciate.

CC0 image courtesy Prawny on Pixabay

There are many benefits to saying thank you.  I have outlined a few in this blog post.

James Clear lists a few good benefits about how your own life and friendships may improve in his blog post "Make Your Life Better by Saying Thank You in These 7 Situations". Thank you for sharing your ideas with your readers James!  Just as he notes, I often forget to say thank you when receiving a compliment.  However I do regularly thank those who choose to trust and confide in me when sharing their stories of personal or challenging life situations.

Here are three additional benefits to saying thank you for specific things you appreciate:

1. People often feel good when they are appreciated

It is a good feeling to be appreciated for one's efforts or contributions.  Why not pass on your thanks to help another person feel good?  Think about the last time someone told you thank you for something that you worked hard on or went out of your way to provide.  Didn't it feel pretty good?  Help spread that same feeling to others.

2. Saying thank you can be positive reinforcement

If it is clear to the person being thanked what exactly you are thankful for, the person is more likely to do the same activity again.  This is true in work environments,  home environments, and social situations.  If a person's contributions or efforts are acknowledged and appreciated, that person will usually have more motivation to deliver the same, similar, or sometimes better contribution in the future.

3. "Thank You" can help form or strengthen relationships

Giving genuine thanks to someone you've recently met often opens the door to continued interaction with that person.  The continued interaction can lead to new friendships or new business relationships.  This holds true for preexisting relationships also.  Sharing thanks can create a shared positive experience between people that will likely want to be experienced again in the future.

Conclusion

Of course there are many different ways to show appreciation and to say thank you.  Often just using the words in thank you messages is sufficient (and it does not cost anything to say them).  If you're struggling with identifying the words to use to say thank you, see Anastasia Koltai's "112 Phrases for Saying Thank You in Any Situation" for examples.  She lists many great ideas.  There are also multiple ways how to say thank you.  You may send hand written thank you notes or thank you cards, send flowers, or give gift cards.  For some additional unique ideas to consider, see Kimberly Mikesh's suggestions in "15 ways to say 'thank you' that will instantly makes someone's day".  She lists some more great ways to say thank you.  Thank you Anastasia and Kimberly for taking the time to publish your suggestions.

Don't forget that time is precious.  Take positive action now and pass on your appreciation by saying "Thank You" to someone today.