More than politeness

The value in pausing to think about thanks

I’m not sure I say thank you enough.

I’ve been prompted to think about thank-yous by coming up with an idea that I thought was going to be a product. I realised (after getting some really good advice, thank you Sari) that it wasn’t going to work like that, it was actually a nice way to say thank you and should be given away.

But to do that, I needed to think through how people have helped me. And it turns out that I am blessed with a very encouraging set of friends and family who have helped in all sorts of ways. The real joy in this has been thinking back and being specific about what I’m thankful for — it’s really helped me appreciate things more deeply.

This activity has a value at any point, but particularly if you are feeling unsure about stuff. It helps you orient around what’s really important.

It’s a very rewarding thing to do.

Thanks.