The words "thank you" are about the best you can say and hear.



## A Few Choice Words

About the most endearing thing that a small child can say is "thank you".  This is especially true for a child that has learned so little else verbally.  Of course, they're sweet already as little kids.  And they say things it in that cute -- I'm still learning how to move my mouth -- way.  

This child chooses, with limited time and ability to learn to say anything, "thank you" as a first phrase.

## So Blessed

We are each so blessed.  Whenever I pause to really consider it, I'm humbled with the array of blessings in my life.

Can each of us find more blessings if we pause and look?

The other day I considered even a challenge that loomed big in my personal perspective. It was important and concerning to me.  But eventually I had an almost instant realization of the blessing and responsibility I had to meet and overcome this challenge.

## Challenged

In the small ways that we're challenged in our work, can we say "thank you" more?

What if someone criticizes the approach you took in the code you wrote? Is there a "thank you" opportunity there?  What did they offer you?

What if someone says your advice is worthless -- or even wrong, encouraging others to do the opposite?  Is there a "thank you" opportunity there?  What can you learn?

## Soften the Harshness

We often find ourselves in environments where people vie for attention, influence, and personal gain.  I think we can disengage from that and even reverse a lot of it around us as we show genuine gratitude more often. 

We can soften the harshness of the self-centered race of business and career.

What do you think?  What power do you see in the words "thank you"?

The words thank you are about the best you can say and hear.

The Words 'Thank You'

When things aren't perfect, gratitude can help us see things in a better light.



## Life is Pain

Anyone who says differently is selling something.

That's overstating it, but it is, nevertheless, universally true that life contains hardships for everyone.  Life is meant to be hard -- not just for its own sake but for the opportunity for growth and positive change.  Embracing the fact that our life will not be perfect -- that this is by design and universal -- will allow us to deal with it in hopefully better ways.

## Opportunities for Gratitude

Just as each of us can experience hardship in a day, we can each find _something_ to be grateful for.  Our mindfulness of the good things that happen will draw our minds to happier places.  We can more readily remember what is good.  Some days it might be enough to realize that it could be worse.  Even in this line of thinking, we realize what we have.

Gratitude can lift the mind and lighten the heart.  Isn't it more enjoyable to find a silver lining and hold on to that?  When we are more grateful for what we do enjoy, our attitude will change for the better.  We'll enjoy ourselves more -- others will to.

What are some of the effects of gratitude that you've observed in your own life?

When things aren't perfect, gratitude can help us see things in a better light.

Gratitude Changes Our Attitude

Gratitude is a beautiful virtue that is always welcome.



## Making the World Better

Ahhhh... Gratitude just makes the world better.  When you hear or say the words "thank you", your heart is happier.  Your perspective is broadened and clarified.  The world feels and sounds better.

We can go from noticing everything we wish we had or know that we could have to seeing what we do have, enabling ourselves to enjoy it.  Once we naturally feel that way inwardly, we can and should express that outwardly.

## Gratitude Smooths Over

We live in a world that's not perfect -- people, places, circumstances could all be better.  *We* are not perfect.  Gratitude can help smooth a lot of that over.  Life doesn't always go as planned, but we can be grateful for the ups between the downs.  As we become more practiced in our gratitude, we can see downs as ups through the perspective and acts of gratitude.

## Such Abundance

We live in a world of abundance.  Abundance is not distributed equally.  No one has it all, but we all have something.  Everyone has *something* to say thank you for.  We enjoy and are privy to so much.  That is wonderful and nothing to be ashamed of.  But we might just feel proper shame if one day we realize we've been enjoying, perhaps expecting, a lot without being as grateful as we know we should be.

Let's say thank you more.  Let's be more gracious.

How do you find that a perspective of gratitude makes you and others feel?

Gratitude is a beautiful virtue that is always welcome.