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Do you let people know how much you appreciate them?3 min read

No successful person ever got to where they are alone. Somewhere along the way you had some help. Did you notice and acknowledge the other person? Were you grateful for the assistance you received?

Remember back to your first job. You were probably a teenager, maybe working in a retail store, mowing lawns or waiting tables. Did your boss acknowledge your efforts in the overall success?

At times when you might be feeling uninspired, perhaps having a pity party for yourself, take inventory of the blessings in your life. Be grateful for your friends and family, your job and clients, your home and health. We all have set backs from time to time, but it’s so important to be grateful for what we have, and express our gratitude to those who helped us along get there.

ActionCOACH believes so firmly in gratitude, that it is number 13 on our 14 Points of Culture. “I am a truly grateful person. I say thank you and show appreciation often and in many ways, so that all around me know how much I appreciate everything and everyone I have in my life. I celebrate my wins and the wins of my clients, and team. I consistently catch myself and other people doing things right.”

Consciously expressing gratitude not only boosts the person receiving your expression, but it will also bring about a higher level of awareness and optimism in you as well. Acknowledging your team and letting them know you appreciate their efforts will improve teamwork and decrease turnover. They will be more invested in the project and the mission when they are acknowledged and appreciated.

gratitude

Becoming more grateful and expressing gratitude takes some practice. A few things you can do to get into the habit of showing appreciation are:

• Send hand written thank-you notes. This has become a lost art because of the convenience of texting and emails. But nothing is more impactful than getting a hand written letter, delivered from the mail carrier. It shows that you took that little extra step just for them.
• Surprise your team with lunch or breakfast. Have something catered, order pizzas, bring in donuts, or an afternoon ice cream sundae bar, but make sure they know there is no hidden agenda. You aren’t doing this to bribe them or rope them into yet another meeting. This is “just because” you appreciate their hard work.
• Start a journal and every day write down 5 things you are thankful for that day. Some days you might have to stretch, but after a while, you will start to see the gifts are all around you and you will become more and more grateful for all of the blessings in your life.

When you become a more grateful person, you will stop living life small and stop making things about yourself. You will see the bigger picture, empower other people and feel more enriched because your are making as much a difference in their life as they are making in yours…and you will finally be thankful for it!