Make it a Habit to Tell People to Thank You-Daily Meditation 11.24.22

Today’s quotation:

Make it a habit to tell people to thank you, to express your appreciation, sincerely and without the expectation of anything in return.  Truly appreciate those around you, and you’ll soon find many others around you.  Truly appreciate life, and you’ll find that you have more of it.-Ralph Marston

Today’s Meditation:

Over and over again, we hear the message that if we appreciate things more, we’ll have more of the good things in life.  And when better than during this Thanksgiving season to remind ourselves that fostering such an approach to life can help us to live fuller, happier, even healthier lives?  And to remind ourselves that such an approach to life takes effort–it doesn’t necessarily come easily to us, and we do have to work at keeping our focus on the things to be thankful for rather than the things that aggravate us or annoy us.

It’s so easy not to thank someone else.  It’s so easy not to appreciate actively some of the blessings that we have in our lives.  But if we do make the effort, then we will reap the rewards, just as the farmer who sowed the seeds at the beginning of the season has a harvest to gather when the season ends.  It is truly up to us to determine what we’ll harvest, too.  Without an appreciation for life and the people in our lives, we’ll harvest things like frustration and aggravation.  We’ll have season after season of drought, and all sorts of hungry insects will devour our crops before we can get anything out of them.

“Make it a habit.”  Habits don’t just happen.  It takes effort to start them, and it takes effort to maintain them.  Appreciation is a habit that bears wonderful fruit not just for the person who appreciates, it but for everyone else in that person’s life.  Where are your habits?  If you work on developing habits such as appreciation, you can be sure that your life will be a reflection of the positive energy that you’re putting out into the world.

Questions to consider:

Have you ever tried to make appreciation a habit?

What does Ralph mean when he says “you’ll have more of” life?

What does appreciation feel like when a person expects something in return for his or her appreciation?

For further thought:

The word “appreciation” means to be thankful and express admiration, approval, or gratitude.  It also means to grow or appreciate in value.  As you appreciate life, you become more valuable—both to yourself and others.-Sara Paddison

If you missed yesterday’s Daily Meditation, you can read it here.