Keep Up Those Thank You’s

I was in a store this week and Thanksgiving was no where to be found. The next holidays had taken over the spaces and it seemed as if thankfulness was lost. I was disappointed and saddened by this push to sell, sell, sell for the end of year holidays. It made we think how ungrateful we as consumers and shoppers have become, and business owners for that fact as well. The push to grow, make money and keep those dollars moving has led us to forget that we must be thankful for all we have if we want to receive more.

I likened this to my experience once in giving a gift. The person was young and I’m not sure they were expecting the gift, so they didn’t know how to react. They didn’t say thank you, they just put it away. HHHmmmm…I was not sure how to react to that one. As the gift giver it is not for me to control how people react or use the gifts I have given, it simply for me to give the gift. That can be hard when our gesture is not acknowledged nor appreciated in any way. I was expecting some kind of reaction and got nothing. HHHmmmm…

The groundwork that interaction built was a seed of doubt in my mind when giving that person another gift. They did not show gratitude last time, so should I give them a gift again and take the chance it was a fluke? Is that my role as the gift giver to withhold unless people react the way I want? It is a dilemma I think many of us have experienced in all sorts of gift giving situations. Without any sign of thankfulness it can be hard to give again…

Which is exactly what Zig Ziglar is saying here in this quote. If we fail to be thankful for what we already have or receive…then why would we be given more? It is the attitude of gratitude that flows from us, drawing abundance, opportunities and gifts into our world. When we fail to be thankful, show gratitude or even a hint of appreciation we are likely to be given, blessed or showered with less and less in our lives. I was glad to read these words an be reminded that no matter how the retail world, family or friends, even communities and businesses treat Thanksgiving, I can choose to have a thankful heart and give thanks for the many blessings in my world…no matter what holiday is in season as the mall.

Keep your own attitude or gratitude well oiled and seasoned through out the year. Give thanks for your blessings, even if they seem a bit more slim this year. The fact that you can give thanks for being able to read, get on the internet and think about things is a great places to start counting your blessings. The more we recognize and express thanks, the more we have to be thankful for…so keep up those thank you’s!