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Five Top Ways to Show Gratitude

By Rachael Stone

Republish: EasyPublish™
Published: 10Nov2009
Word count: 846
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As Thanksgiving day gets closer, the thought of finding ways of saying "thank you" often comes to mind. In life kindness and gratitude open more doors than force ever will. That is why nurturing an attitude of gratitude is essential in all spheres of life. We are relational beings and as such will interact with various people. This can be in our places of work, neighborhoods, fellowships and even whilst running errands and accessing essential services. However, many of us don't know how to effectively let someone know how much we appreciate them. So, here are some tips on how to express gratitude effectively.

1) Be Polite

Learn to say please and thank you to all and sundry. Be it your teacher in class or your friend when asking for a favor or even that irritating neighbor. This is important because you never know when your toddler or a person who looks up to you might be listening in and copying your style.

2) Give a Small Card or Gift.

You were a down on your luck student whose teacher thought deserved another chance and gave it to you. The teacher took precious personal time out to coach you on the subject that you have been performing poorly. He even helped you get to be in the Dean's list. You would like to show your gratitude but are not sure what would be the best way to do it. There is a very simple way of excelling at it. Just say thank you with a card that says it all or give a memorabilia.

To be the kind of person who attracts the right kind of associations from school to work to home, you need to also learn people. Take time to understand the people you interact with. When showing gratitude by giving a tangible item, you need to show some forethought by getting something that will be liked. It is best when you get the item that is needed most but for some reason the person cannot get hold of it. Alternatively give one that will have sentimental value. This is why understanding someone and taking time to really know them personally will help.

3) Lend a Helping Hand.

Sometimes the only gratitude you can show someone is lending a hand in something the person is involved in. This will speak volumes to them as you assist in their cause. In this way, you are letting on that you care about them and are sensitive to their likes and dislikes without buying them something you are not sure of.

There are also the unpleasant tasks that people put off. If you help someone by assisting them do the tasks that they like putting off because they are not equal to the task or need to hire someone else to do, you will win plenty of brownie points in this way. For instance helping someone else do their tax returns when they have been putting it off is a great way to show a friend that you care. Gardening for the elderly teacher who taught you arithmetic shows that you still remember them.

4) Express Praise.

Apart from lending a hand, you can also praise a friend by affirming them and encourage them when they are fretful. These are ways of showing gratitude for the friendship without spending any money and who said that all actions of gratitude translate to financial expenditure? Acts of gratitude actually count more because they are invaluable and priceless. The value is not quantifiable at all.

5) Spending Time and Listening

For the elderly, be it a friend or a former teacher, the best gift is spending time with them through engaging them in constant conversation or hearing from them in a way that says they are always on your mind. This is powerful also for the person who does not have many friends or does not have time to socialize but can be caught on phone or at home with some little time to spare. Spend time with your parents as well.

A story is told of a child who was there for a neighbor who had lost his parent. The child crawled on to the neighbor's lap and sat there. When asked by the parents what he had done to help the neighbor because he was thanking the child, he responded, "I just helped him cry." This might sound like a joke but there are times when the best way to draw closer to our friends, loved ones and the community is by showing up and being there when they need us.

As a conduit to valuable things in life, an attitude of gratitude is the way to open doors to a stress free life. There will be reduced visits to your doctor as you will be maximizing on your precious time to bring joy to others and in return reward yourself with a sense of satisfaction.

Though many people think of gratitude during Thanksgiving, it is a nice way of life if you can manage it. It enriches all relationships great and small.

Sometimes friendship jewelry helps a friend know just how much you appreciate them

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