Thanking Me

 

“At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us." ~Albert Schweitzer

I have had the opportunity to celebrate with a couple of friends this past week for some milestones they achieved. Both of those journeys have been long and I had the pleasure of being part of it for the larger part. What struck me however was the fact that I was not just celebrating – I was being thanked for my support along the journey. Of course the first reaction is to say ‘don’t mention it, it was nothing’. But this was not one of those situations. I had to allow myself to acknowledge that I had consciously agreed to support, cheer lead and challenge my friends to their finish lines and their joy was as much their own as it was mine.

How do you react to gratitude towards you? Have you done anything lately purely for another’s pleasure and they took the time to express their gratitude to you?

Indeed it is a heady feeling but also a humbling one when you listen to someone describe how your support of them and their goals kept them hanging on and encouraged. And it makes you realize just how important friendship is and more so our commitment to our friends expressed in both support and timely rebuke. It brings a new understanding to the phrase ‘no man is an island’.

On the flip side, do we take note of those who have offered us an encouraging word along our journeys? Do we take the time to get back to them and offer a word of thanks or do we take it for granted? Time runs fast by the way and putting off saying thank you may be fatal. If you remember something someone has done for you that touched you – call them now or send a text. A short few words may be all they need to pick them up and make them feel valued. I sure felt valued for those few words of gratitude and my relationships with my friends are in much better places for it.

In addition to making others happy, gratitude is known to help shift us out of negative feelings. Our happiness hormones increase when we express our gratitude. So why not make it a habit today and every day? Maybe that’s all the part you need to play to reduce the stress levels in the universe today. So go ahead, send a thank you note to someone today, make them smile and get yourself a dopamine hit.

"Gratitude is when memory is stored in the heart and not in the mind." ~Lionel Hampton
 

 

 

 

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