Just because you’re an adult, mature and wise, it doesn’t mean you should take this wonderful life for granted.
When something great happens to you, how do you show your appreciation? Do you just ignore it or do you make an effort to be appreciative to the person involved? Showing appreciation is a social art that is worth the effort to learn or even expand. Your appreciation doesn’t have to be big. Sincere words of thanks cost you very little, but will mean the world to the person receiving it. This would motivate them to continue doing what they are doing and you both wind up winning. It’s noticing the small details of life that make all the difference. My daughter recently called her grandmother, who was in a rehab for physical therapy. That phone call was in response to a call she received earlier in the day. Someone phoned to thank her for helping with some marketing brochures. Because a simple thank you made her feel so good, she decided to make a call to someone who needed to feel good – and that was her grandma.
A few tips, while very basic, are worth discussing:
- Say thank you immediately. Otherwise, the kindness gets forgotten if too much time passes.
- Send a thank you card (email), stating in just two simple lines how much you appreciate the gesture, or whatever kindness you received.
- Return the favor as soon as you can, by giving your time, if possible, or a small gift.
- Bring up the kindness months later to show it is still important to you and something you don’t want to forget.
The advantage of showing appreciation is many:
- You feel good making others feel good
- What goes around, comes around
- You will be regarded by others as a really nice person
Who has made your life particularly special? Who has gone above and beyond the call of duty to help you? Who do you still need to show your appreciation and gratitude towards? The more gratitude you show to others, the easier it would be for them to reciprocate when you need it. But that is not the only reason you do this. The positive energy you’re putting into these small acts of appreciation will be returned to you tenfold – in wonderful favors, delightful remarks or surprise gifts. You will be showered with kindness and be building goodwill between you and those you know. You will be creating a healthy environment for others to “pay it forward”, a welcome advantage to just being nice. You will be fostering a kinder, more generous world in which to live. One drop of kindness in the bucket of humankind can change the world – just do your part in making it happen. Energy flows no matter what. You might as well let the positive, do-good energy flow all around you and let it spread to all those you care about. Amy Sherman is a blogger with JenningsWire Online Magazine.
The post is presented by the National Publicist, Annie Jennings of the NYC based PR Firm, Annie Jennings PR. Annie Jennings PR specializes in marketing books for getting authors booked on radio talk show interviews, TV shows in major online and in high circulation magazines and newspapers. Annie also works with speaker and experts to build up powerful platforms of credibility and influence.
