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Thank You For The Everyday Stuff
It’s Thank You Thursday, and we kickoff the final month of the 90 Day Thank You Note Challenge.
Have you ever stopped to appreciate your stuff?
What is something you have that you really like? What is something you have that makes your life easier?
Did you ever stop to realize there was someone behind your stuff?
In 1934, Clyde Champion Barrow took time to write Henry Ford a letter expressing his appreciation for his Ford. Here’s the note:
Dear Sir: –
While I still have got breath in my lungs I will tell you what a dandy car you make. I have drove Fords exclusivly when I could get away with one. For sustained speed and freedom from trouble the Ford has got ever other car skinned and even if my business hasen’t been strickly legal it don’t hurt enything to tell you what a fine car you got in the V8 –
Yours truly
Clyde Champion Barrow
Apparently, there is some controversy about this note. Clyde Champion Barrow is part of the notorious Bonnie and Clyde. Bonnie and Clyde were killed while they were trying to outrun police in their Ford Model B. Some have questioned whether or not the note is real.
Regardless, I think it’s a fun reminder for us to be thankful for the things we have and for the people behind these things.
One thing I’m thankful for is my new running shoes. I’ve been running in Asics for the past several years. This week, I switched over to Brooks. The new shoes feel like I’m running on a cloud. The right pair of shoes makes all the difference in enhancing your running experience. Your shoes impact your feet, your knees, your back, and even your mind. My thank you note this week will be going to Jim Weber, President and CEO of Brooks Running. I’ll thank him for creating a product I enjoy!
What “stuff” are you thankful for? Who deserves a thank you note for making your “stuff” possible?
33 Reasons To Say Thank You
It’s Thank You Thursday, and we are coming to the end of the 2nd month of the 90 Day Thank You Note Challenge. One more month to go!
Do you need some new ideas for writing a thank you note? Today’s post should get you thinking.
33 Reasons To Say Thank You
Helped with your homework
Stayed late to complete a project on time
Encouraged you to take a leap of faith
Washed the dishes without being asked
Gave you a ride
Watched your dog while you were on vacation
Washed your car
Walked you through a computer problem
Proof read your English paper, book project, or blog post
Fixed a broken appliance
Prepared a delicious meal for you
Went grocery shopping for your family
Visited you in the hospital
Donated to your missions trip fundraising
Held the door open for you
Warned you about an oncoming obstacle
Babysat your children
Carried your groceries to your car
Listened to you when you were down
Responded with grace when you messed up
Paid for your coffee
Took your place, so you could do something else
Gave you a gift
Prayed for you
Commented on your blog
Introduced you to a new friend
Helped you get a new job
Shoveled the snow off your driveway
Assisted with a home improvement project
Brought you to a new place
Stretched you and helped you grow
Hung out with you when you just needed a friend
Just because
What other reasons can you think of to say thank you to someone?
Thank You Thursday – Isaac’s Example
The Thank You Revolution is for everyone.
My son, Isaac, is a great example for others to follow. Last week, he had his braces removed. It was a “fun” process for the whole family. Isaac dealt with the pain and hassle of the braces. Leanne and I dealt with financial pain of paying for this process. And Leanne spent a fair amount of time carting Isaac to and from the orthodontist.
When Isaac had the braces removed and he saw the finished product, you could tell he was appreciative. This past summer, he had the opportunity to go to Guatemala with our family. While he was there, he saw kids and adults with all kinds of dental issues – missing teeth, crooked teeth, and decaying teeth. I think this may have amplified his appreciation for his orthodontic opportunity.
The night the braces were removed, Leanne and I were greeted by a thank you note as we headed to bed.
The note read:
Thank You
Dear Mom and Dad,
Thank You for providing the money to get my smile correct! I know it was a lot of money and I’ll try my best with the retainers. Thanks again!
Love,
Isaac
It was a simple note, and it left a big impression.
You are not too old or too young to write a thank you note.
Start today. Express your gratitude to others.
A simple note can change the world.
How has a simple thank you note changed your world? Why are you thankful today?
Thank You Thursday – Everyone Should Give Thanks
We are half way through the 90 Day Thank You Note Challenge!
Today, I remind you that writing thank you notes is for everyone. It doesn’t matter how busy you are. It doesn’t matter how “important” you are. It doesn’t matter how rich or poor you are. You can write thank you notes no matter who you are!
Here’s a thank you note from someone you might recognize.
The note is written to Yann Martel, the author of Life of Pi
Mr. Martel –
My daughter and I just finished reading Life of Pi together. Both of us agreed we prefer the story with animals.
It is a lovely book – an elegant proof of God, and the power of storytelling.
Thank you.
Barack Obama
Can you imagine the look on Yann Martel’s face when he opened the envelope and read this note?
I bet the note made his day.
You don’t have to be famous like Barack Obama. You have the power to make someone’s day by sending them a simple note.
Who is getting a thank you note from you this week?
Thank You Thursday – The Impact You May Never Know
It’s week 6 of the 90 Day Thank You Note Challenge. Here’s some encouragement to keep you focused.
The Impact You May Never Know
Writing thank you notes requires time, thought, and intentionality. Just like writing a blog post, you cannot expect to rush through the process. If you want a quality note that makes an impact, you have to be specific in giving thanks. You want to provide enough detail to make sure the recipient knows you noticed. You want it to be neat. In other words, it has to be legible. The recipient will be able to read the note, and they will see that you took the time to honor them through the note.
Obviously, we want our thank you notes to mean something – especially to the recipient.
Often, I receive feedback from the recipients of my thank you notes. They thank me for thanking them. It provides a great opportunity to thank them again. (It’s a fun cycle of gratitude!) But there are also times when I don’t hear anything from the recipients. This is just fine with me. I have to trust they got the note. If you are part of the 90 Day Thank You Note Challenge or the Thank You Revolution, you can’t write notes to get feedback from others. When you write thank you notes, your focus should be on giving – not getting.
But here’s the interesting thing, your thank you notes are having an impact.
Your thank you note came at just the right time for someone. Your note provided encouragement to someone. They kept going, because you noticed them. They kept going with a bigger smile and extra pep in their step, because you wrote them a thank you note. But that’s not all. Your thank you note encouraged them to be more thankful. They started saying thank you to others. In fact, they started writing thank you notes to others, because they received a thank you note from you. They may not have signed up for the Challenge or the Revolution, but they started writing thank you notes more regularly. As a result of their thank you notes, others were impacted – others started writing thank you notes – more people were recognized and encouraged – and more people felt appreciated. And it kept going from there.
Can you see how this thing grows?
Your simple, thoughtful thank you notes are having a huge impact. They are impacting people you may never meet. They are impacting people in ways you may never know.
Is it worth writing a thank you note this week?
You bet! Now get to it. Your notes of thanks are having an impact!
How have you been impacted by someone’s thank you note to you? How have you seen the impact of your thank you notes to others?
Ten People To Thank
It’s week 5 of the 90 Day Thank You Note Challenge!
It’s Thank You Thursday, and we are now at the fifth Thursday of the 90 Day Thank You Note Challenge.
Honestly, I look forward to this day each week. I enjoy surprising someone with a hand-written thank you note.
I wonder what your response has been so far. Have people been surprised by your hand-written note of thanks? How has the 90 Day Thank You Note Challenge changed your outlook on things? Do you have any stories worth sharing?
As I was thinking about my thank you note for today, I realized how many people I have to thank. I thought I’d share ten of the people on my list who might just be getting a thank you note from me in the near future. Perhaps, it will expand your thought process on who should be getting one of your upcoming notes.
10 People To Thank
- The guy at the gym who opens the door at 5AM every morning. I need to get his name. Seriously, he opens the door right on time at 5AM every morning, so “gym rats” like me can get their morning workout in before heading off to work. It’s a thankless job. You have to get to the gym well before 5AM to unlock the doors, turn on the lights, and make sure everything is ready to go for the other employees and for customers like me. This is one guy who deserves a thank you note.
- Cathy. I’ll leave her last name out. She is the person who arrives at our office early every morning to greet employees and answer the phones as people come in first thing in the morning. She has other duties to attend to the rest of the day, but she’s the one who comes in for the first hour to make sure there’s someone at the front desk while employees arrive.
- Sally. Again, I’ll leave her last name out. A couple of weeks ago, we came up with the idea to have a Chili Cook Off at the office tomorrow afternoon. She has taken the idea and run with it. There are at least seven people bringing chili into the office to share with the rest of the office. There will be a trophy for the winner of the best chili. And employees will be wearing their favorite football team shirt. This would not happen without Sally who wants to make sure our team has fun working together.
- Matt. He’s the new groups pastor at our church. He is creatively trying to figure out ways to get people plugged in at our church. I am part of a men’s group meeting on Wednesday nights where men are talking about things like prayer and what it means to be an authentic man. This group wouldn’t happen without Matt.
- Dan. He’s the scoutmaster of my son’s Boy Scout troop. This could really apply to any of the adult leaders in the troop. Dan and the other leaders pour so much time and energy into our boys. They are a great example, and I’m glad my son can look up to people like Dan.
- Mrs. Krown. She’s the band teacher at the middle school where my son goes to school. During jazz band season (December through April), she gets to school extra early to lead jazz band rehearsals and sectional rehearsals to make sure the band is ready for each of its performances. Each week, I drop Isaac off at the school at 6:40AM, and Mrs. Krown is there ready to go. She does this three or four days each week. Wow!
- Coach Geist. He’s one of the track coaches at the high school, and he focuses on the distance runners on the team. I appreciate his energy and enthusiasm for the sport and for teaching students like my daughter to become better runners. I get to see him at the various track meets, and I am convinced he is one of the biggest cheerleaders for each of the distance runners on the team.
- The spouses of my team members. This could be many names. Each of them are providing the support and encouragement necessary to keep my team members on track to do their best while their at work. I’m so thankful for each of them and the role they play in making my team successful.
- Reviewers. I won’t give the names out just yet, but there are a handful of people who are helping me along with a book project I am working on. This past weekend, I sent out an outline for my project, and I am already getting very valuable feedback which will give me insight into how to proceed in the next step of the writing journey.
- You. I’m so thankful for the people who read and comment on this blog. While I hope I can encourage others through my writing, I know without a doubt that you are a huge encouragement to me. THANK YOU!
Now, it’s your turn. Who is someone worth thanking this week? Leave a response in the comments.
Thank You Notes? Ain’t Nobody Got Time for That
It’s the 22nd day of the 90 Day Thank You Note Challenge. Today (or sometime this week), you should be writing your fourth thank you note to a deserving recipient. It’s about time I get Matt McWilliams to chime in here on the challenge. Matt’s bio is at the end of the post, but I’d like to add my two cents. Matt is the “founder” of the Thank You Revolution. He blogs daily about life and leadership, and he has a contagious energy and enthusiasm. After you read this post, leave a comment, and write your thank you note, head over to Matt’s blog for some more encouragement worth reading.
Thank You Notes? Ain’t Nobody Got Time for That
Jon and I keep telling you to write thank you notes.
But you say “I don’t have time for that.”
Excuse me? You don’t have five or ten (or thirty if you really go crazy) minutes a week to completely change your life? Yes, I said that.
IT. WILL. CHANGE. YOUR. LIFE.
And no, that is not an exaggeration.
Want to know what the wealthiest of the wealthy do? They write thank you notes. On paper. With a pen. And they pay for the postage. And they started long before they were wealthy.
Why?
Because that’s what successful people do. They do things that 90% of the population says they don’t have the time to do. Like writing handwritten thank you notes and putting smiles on the faces of others.
Money isn’t the only reason to start this habit. It’s a good one, but far from the only one. This habit also changes you on the inside. Do you know what really happens inside of you when you write a thank you note? Find out here. That post will rock your world.
The Revolution will change you. It will cause you to act differently.
It will cause you to smile more.
It will even change the way you treat people.
I don’t say this because I think it’s true or hope that it happens to you. I say it because it’s happened to me and it’s completely backed by science. I prove it here.
So, I’ve told you now that this simple practice is like a magic formula to make you wealthier, healthier, and happier. What are you going to do with that?
You have two choices:
Blow it off.
Broke, unhappy, and less healthy.
It’s time to decide.
How have hand-written thank you notes impacted your life?
BIO: Matt McWilliams is from the south but reluctantly lives in Fort Wayne, IN. He blogs about personal growth, business, and leadership at MattMcWilliams.com and tweets about the #ThankYouRevolution and more at @MattMcWilliams2 (don’t forget the 2 or you get an egg).
90 Day Thank You Note Challenge – Week 3
It’s week 3 of the 90 Day Thank You Note Challenge!
How’s it going so far?
If you’re like me, life has already become busy in the new year. I’m trying to keep up with my goals for the new year. So far so good. But it’s definitely been a challenge with the pulls and pressures of everyday life.
Sticking with the 90 Day Thank You Note Challenge requires you to be intentional. You have to prioritize your time and carve out a few moments to write at least one thank you note this week. When things get busy, it’s easy to forget. Here are somethings to help you remember.
5 Things To Help You Remember To Write Your Weekly Thank You Notes
- Put an appointment on your calendar. I added a recurring appointment to my calendar for Thank You Thursday. Every Thursday at 7:15AM, a reminder pops up on my phone. It’s a simple way to remember.
- Put a box of thank you notes in a place you will see every week. My box of thank you notes are on a shelf right above my computer monitor. You’ve heard the phrase, “Out of sight, out of mind.” Keep your thank you notes in sight, so you remember.
- Find accountability. Ask a friend to hold you accountable to write a weekly thank you note. Make sure they check in with you each week. Knowing someone will be checking in on you is a great way to remember.
- Keep a list of potential thank you note recipients. Write names down on paper or keep a running list on your phone of people in your life who deserve a thank you note. Write their name down along with a specific reason they deserve a thank you note. This will help you remember who should get a thank you note in the week’s ahead.
- Sign up for Matt McWilliams’ Thank You Revolution. If you’re part of the Revolution, you will get an email from Matt each week. His email provides practical advice for writing your thank you notes. And his email will help you remember to write your weekly thank you note. (You can sign up by clicking here.)
What helps you remember to write thank you notes? How have any of the above items helped you with the 90 Day Thank You Note Challenge?
90 Day Thank You Note Challenge – Week 2
Today is Thank You Thursday!
It’s week 2 of the 90 Day Thank You Note Challenge.
If you haven’t committed, it’s not too late. Go to the original post by clicking here to see how you can jump on the Thank You Revolution bandwagon.
How did week 1 of the challenge work out for you? Did you send a thank you note? Did you hear back from the recipient? How did they respond?
Developing an attitude of gratitude takes practice.
As I was thinking about this week’s Thank You Thursday post, I kept coming back to the phrase – Attitude of Gratitude.
Do you think an attitude of gratitude comes naturally?
I’m not so sure. I think most of us are selfish and self-centered by nature. It takes intentionality to break free from the chains of selfishness. I think it takes practice. This is why I believe in the 90 Day Thank You Note Challenge. It’s not just about doing something cool to start the new year. It’s not about bringing fame and fortune to my blog or to Matt McWilliams. And it’s not about making a name for yourself.
The 90 Day Thank You Note Challenge is all about helping you develop a pattern of appreciation for others. It’s about fostering a discipline which leads to an attitude of gratitude.
In the weeks to come (maybe even this week), you may not feel like writing a thank you note. You need to push passed this feeling and write a thank you note to someone in your life who is deserving. Who will it be this week?
What helps you to have an attitude of gratitude?
90 Day Thank You Note Challenge STARTS TODAY!
A few weeks ago, I challenged readers to consider joining the Matt McWilliams’ Thank You Revolution for 90 days.
The challenge starts today!
It’s not too late to jump on board. In fact, this is the perfect time to get started with a weekly ritual of writing at least one hand-written thank you note each week for the next 13 weeks. You will be amazed at the impact of this simple discipline. [Go back to the original post to see just how easy it is to join the 90 Day Thank You Note Challenge. Click here.]
To get you started, here are a couple of people you may want to thank today:
- A family member or friend who gave you a gift.
- A co-worker who went above and beyond the call of duty during the holidays.
- A church leader who spent hours planning and leading Christmas Eve services.
- A neighbor who did something nice for you while you were away for Christmas.
- A friend who encouraged you to try something new in 2014.
So here are a couple of other things to do in taking this challenge.
- Go purchase a box of thank you notes. I started with 10, but I soon went back and picked up a box of 50. It will be time for a new box again soon.
- Pick a recipient for your first thank you note. This should be someone who is deserving of your gratitude. You should be able to thank them for something specific. A general note of thanks without any details may come across as a note to kiss up. This isn’t the goal.
- Write your first note. It doesn’t have to be long. Start by thanking the person for something specific. Next, share why you appreciated this in one or two sentences. Finally, end the note with a more general statement about how much you appreciate having someone like them in your corner. Here’s an example of a note I would write to one of my co-workers:
Dear Steve,
Thanks so much for working over the holiday week while everyone else was off.
You did such a great job holding down the fort and keeping our customers happy while most of our team was on vacation. Additionally, thank you for helping us finish the month and quarter as strong as possible.
I’m so thankful to be apart of this team with people like you. You set a great example for others to follow.
Best Regards,
Jon
So what are you waiting for? Join the 90 Day Thank You Note Challenge TODAY!
Who is getting your first thank you note today and why?