You hold the door open for someone behind you. You let someone pass down a narrowing on a pavement (sidewalk, for our American Cousins) whilst you wait. You offer someone your seat. You let someone go in front of you. Crossing at Pedestrian Crossings. Receiving food, coffee or any other item. These, and many other things, are all things that deserve a ‘Thank You’.
Yet, over the course of the last week I have done probably 50-100 of these things and I have probably received maybe 10 ‘Thank You’s. Where has our politeness gone, did we leave on the 7:45 to Waterloo? Or even earlier alongside our toothbrush after cleaning our teeth in the morning? Did we leave it behind at school? With our Grandparents? Where has the simplicity of saying ‘Thank You’ when someone does something small for you gone?
I make an effort to say ‘Thank you’ in all of these situations and many more. I wave, salute or acknowledge to cars or bikes that stop in the street for me at pedestrian crossings. I say thank you if someone lets me go in front of them. I even generally say thank you to the Bus Driver. I say thank you to my wife for doing the washing up, making dinner or getting me a glass of water. It is just that simple.
These 2 little words are amazingly powerful, they show acknowledgment and appreciation of the others actions. They are simple and powerful and they put a smile on the receiving persons face. That smile could light rooms sometimes. They feel that their actions are worth something. We all wish to feel worthy and with 2 small words that can be the case.
We are all stretched for time and we all wish to keep our heads buried in our books or mobile phones (remember my Bubble article) but we need to raise our eyes and our spirits and acknowledge people with a Thank You.
You have to mean the words, you can’t offer them up as air, they have to have a level of gratitude behind them. Otherwise the appreciation is as hollow as the words. You have to be as grateful for the little things as much as the big ones.
I admit sometimes, I am so frustrated with people’s lack of courtesy that I say ‘Your Welcome’ loud enough for them to hear when there lack of ‘Thank You’ is deafening.
Imagine if you will, a world where people acknowledged and appreciated people for even the smallest of actions. We saw the smile on their face that brought a smile to ours. The world would be a nicer and easier place to do anything.
So this week, make an effort to say ‘Thank You’ and mean it.
Respectfully yours as always,
#1PG
