About 3 weeks ago, within the span of 5 days, I heard from several “old” friends or people with whom I’ve worked. When the third person reached out that week and asked for a call, I had no idea what he wanted. What a shock to hear that he was thanking me for some work we’d done at least 4 years ago. He told me it had changed his life. What a blessing to hear his journey and the small part that I played.
As soon as we hung up the phone, I started thinking about what had happened that week and realized two things:
- We really don’t know the impact we’re having on people! Sometimes the impact is immediate. Sometimes, it hits its mark long after the conversation has ended.
- Reaching out and thanking people is something that we all could do more often. If it was such a gift to me, I could give that gift to others.
I’d like to say that I immediately thought of 50 people to thank. Nope, it didn’t happen. Two weeks passed. I was in a bookstore in Singapore when I saw a book written by an old friend. I took a picture of her book and emailed it to her, telling her that her book had made its way across the world. I also thanked her for making a connection for me 12 years ago that was a very significant one. I’m not sure I thanked her enough all those years ago, and it felt really good to take 90 seconds to write the note and send the picture.
I wonder what the world would be like if our gratitude was communicated to those who have assisted us on our journeys. I think the world would be a better place, and we’d all be blessed.
Read more http://thecoachingsource.com/2013/02/12/the-gift-of-gratefulness/
