Take an extra moment to be grateful & appreciative
"I really enjoy spending time with you," I heard the woman say warmly to her coffee companion as she was saying goodbye.
I didn't even know her, but I liked her immediately.
It's so easy to get rushed and forget the importance of gratefulness. A sense of entitlement has always been a huge pet peeve of mine.
When a client goes out of their way to compliment my work or thank me for something I did, my heart sings. I like knowing that I'm making a difference.
On my end, I do my best to express my thanks in a variety of ways. I'll admit that I occasionally make grand plans for big "thank you" gestures, but then life happens and I get busy. Done is better than perfect.
A handwritten thank you note or a gift is awesome, but even a quick thank you text or email is better than no gesture at all. There's also no true expiration on thanks. I'm getting ready to send a thank you gift to a collaborator who helped me with something two weeks ago. I also love to send thank you notes and gifts to some of my business referral sources around this time of year.
One of my goals for this year was to be more demonstrative and appreciative. I've shown my appreciation in ways big and small and will continue to do so.
To me, a thank you is a gorgeous flower in a sea of gray.