25 Days of Thankfulness: Day 13. Actions Speak Louder!

image via zoonabar on Flickr

I said yesterday that you should show in action that you are thankful. I have said it before that as well. But knowing what actions to take can sometimes stump people. So I'd like to give you examples.

1. Say Thank You. Practice using one of the magic words. :) We were taught this as children, and if you weren't, then teach it to yourself now. Look up methods for creating habits and then make it a habit to say thank you. Any time some one does something for you, hands you and object, or smiles in your general direction can be an appropriate time to say thank you. Many people have the problem of apologizing too much, but I've never heard of someone saying thank you too much.
2. Write a note. The art of writing thank you notes has gone out of style and that's ridiculous. I'm not the greatest at remembering to do it, but there is a tried and true formula that ALWAYS works. Here, I'll even link one for you. It's the formula I use, and it has never failed me.The darn things write themselves in 3 minutes or less, sometimes including addressing the envelope. Seriously, it's easy! People are flabbergasted to actually receive these in the mail. It will put you in their memory as a gracious and thankful person, and you will feel good knowing you have let people know that you were thankful for whatever they gave you.
3. Keep track of blessings. Have someplace that you keep track of things you are thankful for. I know sometimes, no matter how blessed I am, I forget to give thanks. I take things for granted. So write it down somewhere. Keep a journal of just things that have blessed you. Or keep a dry erase board up that you can scribble a daily bit of thankfulness on. Whatever works for you.
4. Don't underestimate the power of touch. A hug or a handshake can reinforce the message you are trying to get across. Sometimes people have a hard time beliving words, but shake their hand or give them a hug at the same time, or look them in the eye, and they'll have an action to back up those words.

These are just a few things you can do to show that you are thankful. Honestly with these daily posts I'm just trying to show what I do in my life and remind myself to be thankful. Google is there is you need more specifics. :)