You Don’t Need To Be Grateful…
The rain was pouring down and she walked quickly towards the door. If she ran, she might have face-planted because of the shoes she was wearing. I was ahead of her and so, I stopped and held the door for about 10 seconds until she could get there.
She quickly darted inside and then…
…she kept going.
She didn’t stop to say a word. No thank you, no acknowledgement, no smile. She just kept moving.
Maybe she was in a rush and focused on her work. Maybe she had something else to do. Maybe she had no voice. Maybe she had a lot on her mind. Maybe she didn’t really notice the door had been held for her.
But, none of that mattered to me in that moment. My first thought was she was ungrateful. Ugh! That’s terrible, isn’t it?
The next feeling I had was one of guilt. I chided myself for doing something kind with the expectation of acknowledgment. But I realized how quickly a simple action, which takes less than 1 second, can alter someone’s view.
If she had said, “Thanks” and kept moving, the day would have been ok. But, now, I was going to recognize her the next time I saw her and immediately, I would think of her as an ungrateful person.
Yeah! I’m human!
See what happens? When you get so absorbed in your own challenges that you don’t stop to give thanks, it shifts everything around you. You become viewed from a specific perspective and you don’t even know it. There you are, walking along in your own world, living in the way you’re used to living, focused on your own space and life happens without you noticing.
You don’t notice and you don’t stop to say, “Thank you.”
You make the unconscious, or conscious, choice to practice being oblivious to your blessings! And the more you practice it, the easier it becomes. The more you complain, the easier it becomes. The more you focus on negatives, the easier it becomes.
You don’t need to be grateful, if that’s how you choose to be seen.
Not sure what to be thankful for? Check out this quote:
“Life is hard. Then you die. Then they throw dirt in your face. Then the worms eat you. Be grateful it happens in that order.” — David Gerrold
However, when you ARE grateful, your world changes. People smile. The sun shines brighter. You’re less stressed. You begin to focus on the positive.
The more you show gratitude, the easier it becomes. The more you say, “Thank you,” the more smiles you will notice.
When my kids were toddlers, they knew how to light up a room. Why? Simple gratitude. Whenever they were offered anything, they looked the person in the eye and said with a smile, “Thank you.”
Talk about melting hearts. People LOVED them and gave them stuff just to hear them say thank you. They didn’t run off. They stopped to say thank you and it changed the entire space of relationship.
We’ve gotten so busy and forgotten. But if we look at it, one second or less is all it really takes to perform an action that can shift your ENTIRE day.
Yes, Thanksgiving day reminds us. But, what if you committed to being grateful at least once every hour? What would that look like? What would that feel like?
Give it a shot. Set a gratitude alarm. Then intentionally look for a way to say THANK YOU to someone or for something.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Did you like this post? Click the CLAPS at least 5 times. This helps more of your friends to see the post! You may clap as many times as you want.
About The Author
My name is Robert Kennedy III. I’m a professional speaker and author. I speak and write mainly about leadership and communication. Connect with me onTwitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook or on my website, RobertKennedy3.com
