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The Gratitude Guide
By Alejandra Owens, March 25, 2011 04:32 PM
You'd think that it would be easy to express gratitude -- after all, giving thanks should come naturally, right? But the fact of the matter is that people can often have a hard time committing an act that requires such a revelation of true feelings. Which is why Walter Green put together a guide for gratitude, which also identifies things that prohibit us from giving thanks. His first couple of tokens of wisdom:
It Doesn't Really Matter: Most people don't give themselves enough credit for who they are and what they mean to others. Your words and your actions do mean a lot to many. See what happens when you take the time to express how much someone means to you. After doing so, it's unlikely you'll still feel it wasn't important.
Everyone Already Knows How I Feel: For the most part, our words and actions over the years probably do convey how we feel about other people. That's a great first step, but it still leaves a lot unsaid, and we all know the unfortunate consequences of leaving things unsaid. Many people aren't aware of the depth and full dimension of your gratitude toward them. In fact, before taking the time to reflect on these contributions, you may not be fully aware yourself.
Everyone Already Knows How I Feel: For the most part, our words and actions over the years probably do convey how we feel about other people. That's a great first step, but it still leaves a lot unsaid, and we all know the unfortunate consequences of leaving things unsaid. Many people aren't aware of the depth and full dimension of your gratitude toward them. In fact, before taking the time to reflect on these contributions, you may not be fully aware yourself.
Check out the rest here, and tell us how you plan to become a more (and better!) thankful person.
Photo credit: honor the gift via flickr.