The Power of "Thank You"

I used to think of gratitude like I was quickly scribbling out a thank you note to a friend (...my doctor's-esque scroll is mostly legible...its the thought that counts!). 

I’d be thankful for something that a person did for me or gifted to me, so I’d shoot off a quick and friendly thank you to that person and move on to the next thing. It was efficient and polite, but rather…short lived. 

Or, I’d sign an email with “thanks!” — but is that really gratitude? Are we grateful for them reviewing the document and sending detailed feedback? (In advertising? Probably not…!)

Then, there’s Thanksgiving. The day when we’re supposed to be grateful for everything. But that’s only one day a year, and we’re often on a turkey-high so the gratitude fades a bit. 

This year, I learned that gratitude is so much more than that. It’s actually a way of life, an energetic current. 

When I’m grateful for what I have on a continual, daily basis, good things flow. And when I’m not actively practicing gratitude, I tend to notice a feeling of being stuck. That energetic flow of positivity has…stopped. But only temporarily! 

I used to wake up in the morning and the very first thought I had was, “coffee”, followed by  grabbing my phone to look at what emails I had (ugh). 

That’s how I’d start my day — reading through various work emails while sleepily fighting with my Nespresso maker. My mood was generally pretty depressed about the mess I’d need to sort through at work and generally fighting back a sense of panic and impending doom. 

Pleasant morning, right? And this continued for YEARS. 

Until mid 2020, when life hit the major reset button and I actually became conscious of my unconscious behaviors. 

I gradually started shifting this early morning behavior because I learned that it wasn’t serving me. 

I started evaluating my decisions in terms of, "does this make me a better, happier person?” 

And when the answer is a firm, HELL no to that? That’s a huge red flag. 

Sleepy-email-reading (seriously don’t even think about responding in this state) is a huge HELL NO. I needed to start my day with something positive. 

This...was a gradual transition. I used to have put my phone on the other side of the room to train myself not to grab it. This worked. Plus I had to GET UP to go get it!

Now, the very first thing I do when I open my eyes is try to remember and write down my dreams, because they often have so many messages. I’ve been doing this for almost 2 years now, and I can say its been been incredibly fascinating.

Then, I say thank you. It’s a genuine thank you, just to God and the universe for the day. 

For my life. For breathing. For the sun coming through my curtains. 

A way to remember this is as you get out of bed, and you put your feet on the floor, each foot is a word — left foot (thank) right foot (you). Thank you. 

That’s it. 

When you start the day giving thanks for just the opportunity to have a brand new day, the world starts taking on different meaning. And you’re inviting a flow of brand new positive energy into your world within the first seconds of your day. 

These two little words have tremendous power. 

Gratitude costs nothing, and means everything. 

Sometimes I’ll make a list of things in my head that I’m grateful for — my half-awake mind isn’t super insightful, but in the spirit of honesty, these are typically my thoughts (in no particular order):

Thank you for:

A new day

Breathing

Walking

Sunshine

My 5 senses 

Coffee (could not be more grateful, seriously)

Clean water

A warm home

Food in my refrigerator (including coffee creamer)

A hot shower

Clean towels 

Warm clothes

Electricity

Internet

The ability to work for myself and do what I love

My friends and family

My health

My spirituality

And the list goes on…

In the book, The Magic, by Rhona Byrne (which I encourage you all to read, this was recommended to me by my dear friend Sheylyn and it changed my entire perception on gratitude) — she teaches that gratitude, like meditation, is a practice. 

You have to keep it up, and it strengthens over time. She offers many different ideas on how to do this, how to work gratitude into your life. Such as...before you drift off to sleep, what's the BEST thing that happened to you that day? Suddenly you start thinking about your entire day and you'll find there were many moments that brought joy.

This year, as 2021 wraps up…I encourage you all to start the New Year with two little words. Thank you. 

And if you make a tiny list of things you’re grateful for, even better!

This way, we close out the cycle of the year and welcome in new, bright opportunities for 2022, with a spirit of gratitude to bring in the best. 

And then every day, add a little more to your gratitude list. 

Send someone a note with extra appreciation. 

Call a relative or friend you haven't spoken to in a while and thank them for being in your life.

The joy you elicit literally has a compounded effect...it will generate more and more joy with others. 

And don't forget to show yourself appreciation and gratitude...for choosing to GROW. 

And as you read this, know that I’m incredibly grateful for each of you, spending a few minutes to read this blog every few weeks. 

Your comments and support have meant the world to me -- truly, thank you. 

Here’s to a New Year!

Take a deep breath. Let it go. 

You got this.