Article By Kevin L. DeWitt

How many times to we take a moment and tell someone we are grateful for them?

Saying thank you to someone you are grateful for is a small thing … but it has a huge impact on you and on the other person.

Making gratitude a part of your life will make you a happier person, and the people around you will be happier … just by saying “thank you,” “I appreciate you,” or “thank you for what you did for me.”  Saying thank you isn’t hard.  However the words can lose meaning if they’re just words.  You need to say them with sincerity, or show your gratitude through little actions.

For those who’d like to do little things to show their gratitude, to a specific person or to life in general, here are a few ideas:

1. Create a ritual.  Some mornings before I get up out of bed, I just close my eyes and take a couple of minutes to think of the people and things I’m grateful for.  I say a small prayer and thank God for them.

2. Say thank you in an email.  It’s nice to get a little note thanking you for something you did.  It does not need to be long or fancy.  Just send a brief email saying thank you for a specific thing the person has done for you.  It only takes a minute, and the impact is huge.

3. Do someone a favor.  Without expecting anything in return, do something nice for someone. It does not have to be big.  Just something small.  Get them a coffee, offer to do an errand, etc.  Just something that might appreciate.  Think of what the person likes, wants or needs, and try to do something to help them.  Doing something nice will show you’re grateful more than just saying it.

4. Give a little gift.  It doesn’t have to be big, fancy or expensive.  A small gift can be a tremendous gesture.

5. Acknowledge them.  Who doesn’t like to be acknowledged?  Find a way to acknowledge the contributions of someone, to show your gratitude, in a public way … in your office, among friends, at church, etc.

6. Find a way to say thank you when bad things are happening.  This is tough. When things go wrong, when we are afraid of losing a job, when we are worn down by life … we don’t want to say thank you.  But in truth, this is the time when it matters most.  Many of us have been hurt by the economy … building a life for years only to see it disappear in a matter of days or months.  But there are still things to be thankful for, and there is always someone worse off than I am.

Take a moment to stop and close your eyes and find things to be thankful for.  We all face huge challenges this year.  We hear about the economy, lost jobs, the housing crisis, and on and on … and it is easy to be afraid.  I know I am afraid.  Yet at the same time I am thankful God has provided so many blessings to me and my family.   

Your health, your family, your job, the roof over your head, the good people in your life … Whatever you can think of, be thankful and find a way to express that gratitude.

“Can you see the holiness in those things you take for granted - a paved road or a washing machine?  If you concentrate on finding what is good in every situation, you will discover that your life will suddenly be filled with gratitude, a feeling that nurtures the soul.”
-Rabbi Harold Kushner

“There but for the grace of God go [I].”

-John Bradford

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