25 Days of Thankfulness: Day 10. Give Nothing but Thanks!

If you're a girl, you may have been taught the compliment method of giving thanks. Imagine you've been given a compliment. You hurriedly say 'Thanks!' And then tack on, 'I love your (insert something hurried but acceptable here, usually the same thing the person complimented you on.)' You feel as if, when complimented, you must compliment back.

Why is giving thanks not enough? Somehow we have gotten to a place where accepting what is given to us and being grateful for it is a bad thing. There are some people out there who know how to accept gifts or compliments graciously and I would encourage you to study and learn from them. I don't have the technique perfected yet, but I'm certainly working on it.

You have to know that saying 'thank you' is not just enough, it completely fulfills the social requirement. A compliment or gift is to be given because you want another to receive it. It is an outpouring of generosity on your part. Giving is a whole other subject I could do a series on so I won't go into it much more. But let me say what we should all know. True giving means nothing is needed in return. Saying 'Thank you' is more than enough. If you feel you need to say more, tell them why it made you feel good. For example: say someone compliments your cooking. You can say, 'Thanks so much! It's a recipe I was hoping people would like!' Knowing exactly how I've improved another person's day is way better than a returned compliment.