What You’re REALLY Doing By Giving Thanks…
As a comedian I have done countless radio appearances to promote CD and ticket sales.
Years ago in Nashville, after a particularly fun morning spot at a popular station, when got home I faxed (back when people did that) a fun thank you note to the DJ’s.
Well, no comic had ever done that and they were taken aback.
It turns out one of the DJ’s was our local TV news anchor, she needed a special interest story, so she called me and asked if they could film part of my show that night to air over the weekend.
Well, duh, YEAH.
They got a nice story, I got extra exposure and sold a lot more tickets, the club made more money… win, win, win.
When I shared that story with my friend, Mark Hollingsworth he said,
“Yeah, it’s amazing what happens just by saying, “Thank you.”
He’s right.
I have written about the fact that life is never stationary, it spirals up or down, always.
There is probably no better way to turn around a downward spiral, or supercharge an upward spiral than by simply saying, “thank you,” saying it sincerely, and saying it a lot.
So… let’s go a little deeper into why that’s true.
Yes, “thank you” acknowledges the work or gifts of someone else.
But it is also the message you’re sending yourself.
By giving thanks you are…
* Acknowledging to yourself there is good in the world, and if there is
good once, there can be good again.
* Humbling yourself.
* Showing others that they and/or their actions matter.
* Reinforcing the best in others, and that feels good to you.
* Acknowledging and confirming community, that we’re all in this
together.
* Making yourself more physically, mentally and spiritually healthy. Expressing gratitude actually changes your physiology, mindset and spiritual well-being by calming and releasing.
And think about it… there is NEVER a down side to saying thank you earnestly.
Giving thanks is also easy…
There is ALWAYS something for which to be thankful in your life.
And there is always something for which to be thankful in others.
If you try you can thank even your greatest enemy or the most failed human being for something.
So my tip is to become incessant and prolific in saying “thank you.”
Remember my story from the beginning? That’s just one of countless times giving thanks has benefitted me in ways I could not have imagined including first class upgrades, store discounts, and business opportunities.
So, this Thanksgiving do yourself a favor, not to mention everyone else, by making a point of saying thank you… like they vote in Chicago, early and often!
And with that I say, thank you to all of you who make this wonderful life of mine possible. You mean more to me than you will ever know.
Live Truly, Truly Live,
Mike
