Time for thanks

I can’t believe how fast this fall has gone, and Thanksgiving is already this week. While traditionally Thanksgiving is a holiday to celebrate the harvest season and be thankful for its bounty, I love how today’s traditions also include celebrating family and being thankful for all the small and big things in our lives. Many people have dedicated the entire month of November sharing online daily what they are thankful for. It’s the season of gratitude. Today I would like to remind you of living a little and saying “thanks” in your everyday life. I am not just talking about grand gestures, nor having gratitude, while both equally important, but I am talking about simply saying “thank you” to people around you. One of the things I miss about living in the United States is that people are friendlier, and it is more common to say “thanks” and a stranger making your day by simply saying something nice to you. Many Europeans, especially Nordic people think it is shallow, or even weird to compliment a stranger, and even when someone does compliment you, saying “thanks” would mean you are proud and is often left non said. Sadly, “excuse me” doesn’t even exist in my native language. But whether you are more reserved, or more talkative, there is one word that is easy to say and has power to change the world for the better in the moment. It’s “thanks.” There is nothing shallow, no vain to thank, it is not a compliment, yet it kind of feels like one. It’s good manners. It shows you care without being intrusive. It doesn’t matter if you asked your kid (or husband or mother) to do something ten times before they did it – it still deserves a “thank you.” It doesn’t matter if the waiter, cash register girl or flight attendant is just doing her job and getting paid to be nice – you still should “thank you” to her. Instead of being mad at your husband every time he comes home late, be thankful for the times he comes home on time. Not “this is the first day this week you come home when you’re supposed to” but “thank you so much coming home early.” Instead of being frustrated of the mess your learning kid-chefs make at the kitchen say “thank you for trying to learn to cook, now let’s learn to clean together too.” Try it. Saying “thank you” has magical powers. More inspiration for today.. read my post from January about paying it forward. How are you living a little? Join us! Participate to Live a Little blog hop! Write a blog post how you “live a little,” what’s your small way of living life to the fullest and add your blog post to the InLinkz widget above. Rules: Link to bit.ly/livelittle, and if you want, add the get the InLinkz code for your post. If you post the widget in your blog post, please add these rules as well. You can also use the image below by getting the code, and link to our Pinterest board. Let me know if you would like to contribute to our Live a Little board and we'll add you.

 

gratitude, live a little, thanksgiving