Do you write ‘Thank You’ cards? As I was driving along yesterday listening to the radio I was so surprised when an ad came on and the person speaking asked ‘Do you write Thank You notes?’ The person in the ad went on to say that his mother taught him to write a Thank You note when he was given something. Listening to this ad I was wondering where it was going? Have you heard this ad? Anyway, the person in the ad continued by saying he wanted to thank McDonalds. Honestly, I didn’t pay attention to the rest of the ad. I wish I had because I don’t know what he was thanking McDonalds for. I was so taken with the idea that the advertising industry thought to include the notion of writing a ‘Thank You’ note.
I believe in writing ‘Thank You’ notes. So much so that in the second edition of my book I have added a section on how to write a good ‘Thank You’ note as well as why you should write them.
So, back to my original question… do you write ‘Thank You’ notes? If you do, is it because you feel obliged to write the note or is it because you really want to convey your gratitude to the person (or business) who gave you something?
Oprah refers to expressing gratitude in her magazine often. I can remember first hearing her talk about a gratitude journal. I thought it was a great idea to everyday, at the end of the day, write down three things for which you are thankful. I’ll be honest, I did not go out and buy a journal but hearing that idea did prompt me to everyday list in my mind some of the things, the blessings, I have in my life for which I am eternally grateful.
Writing a ‘Thank You’ note is such a small task. Yet, it can give someone a boost in their day to know that the recipient of a gift acknowledges the gift and is appreciative of the donor’s thoughtfulness. Why not take a few minutes, put pen to paper, and write someone today to let them know you are thankful for whatever it is they have given you?