Thankfulness in Creating Meaningful Relationships
November 14th, 2011
In this week before Thanksgiving, my thoughts are brought to being thankful for those
aspects of my life that bring me joy. Thankfulness is a 2 step process: feeling
gratitude (helps self) and expressing gratitude (helps relationships).
Focusing on gratitude creates a positive self-fulfilling prophecy in one’s life. The
more one focuses on what one is grateful for, that area of one’s life is
expanded. I begin each day with meditation on personal and professional areas
of my life for which I feel grateful.
While you may feel grateful for your client with whom you enjoy working, if you don’t
share it with him, you have missed out on strengthening that relationship. I’m
a big believer in thank you cards. I carry stamped thank you cards with me so I
may jot a note while traveling. Thank you e-mails and brief phone calls are
also quick ways to connect with others. Saying thank you to two people each week is a great place to start.
Here’s a simple template for saying thank you:
Dear ____________,
Thank you for being such a great client/colleague/leader. I have enjoyed working with
you on _____________. Your energy and enthusiasm are infectious. I really
appreciate the personal attention and commitment to excellence that you bring to this project.
All the best,
Taking a few minutes each week to thank others will help you create deeper connections and meaningful relationships.
