The Power of Thanks

If you were like me growing up, when it came to accepting presents or gifts from others, your parents may have told you, "No, you can not accept that." They told you this for a variety of reasons, but the message was clear. You should not accept gifts. To further complicate things you may have grown up hearing the old adage "It is better to give than to receive."

Of course, there is great value in giving to others. This is especially true when gifts in whatever form are given from the heart. But let us flip things around a bit.

Let's say that you've spent a lot of time and effort trying to find that perfect gift for someone, or you went the extra mile to make someone happy. Now, what if they turned to you as you were handing them this gift and said to you, "I can not accept this. Sorry."

You’d feel deflated, maybe even hurt. Has this ever happened to you? It has to me, and I can not fully describe the enormous feeling of disappointment that accompanied this.

The power of gratitude and appreciation is a great power indeed. It opens doors and new possibilities in your life. The Law of Attraction states that "like attracts like". If you are gracious and appreciative and let others know it, the positive energy you create will attract more positive things to you.

Close your eyes and imagine having that gift that you know a loved one wants in your hands. It is beautifully wrapped and your loved one can tell the care and thought that went into it. As she opens it, a large smile crosses her face. She hugs you and thanks you profusely. You well up with pride and appreciation. Something else happens...a desire to want to do it again.

We are creatures of habit. If a person remembers a positive experience in association with you and attaches it to a particular act, they are more apt to repeat that act. Appreciation and gratitude are so important.

These acts don't have to be big. They can be a short note saying thank you, a handshake and a smile, a small gift or token of your appreciation. Remember that like attracts like. Appreciation begets appreciation.

A friend was telling me he was eating in a restaurant the other day and the waitress provided adequate service. Yet he gave her a generous tip. Her reaction was a frown as she stuffed it in her pocket and walked away. His initial reaction was to never go back to that restaurant, and if he did, he probably would not tip as well the next time, should he get that particular waitress. If she had simply smiled or had said thank you, my friend's initial attitude and memory of the interaction would have been different.

Being gracious and appreciative when you interact with others can bring great things back to you in your life. In fact, the simple act of saying thank you to someone is, in essence, giving them a gift back.