Gratitude

The box on our porch was so big I needed to have help bringing it in the house.

Excited and surprised, we wondered what it could be.

As our family tore into the paper filling we unveiled the yummiest, tastiest, most thoughtful gift we could imagine: Scones, Muffins, Jams & Jellies, Honey & Flavored Butter, Loaves of Breads & Cookies, and literally everything not on my diet!

We looked for the envelope and card revealing the kind giver.

And searched.

And tore the whole box apart to no avail.

Not one idea who could have sent us this wonderful gift!

Now we sat there, staring at all of these goodies, unable to eat or enjoy it, wondering if it was at the wrong house, and unsure as to our feeling it was okay to consume a gift we didn’t know from whence had come.

Has this ever happened to you?

Not to say there’s not a place for anonymity, but in this case we actually couldn’t indulge and felt sad about it.

So we set everything in the fridge and sent a few emails, texts, and messages to see if we could find the sender.

No luck.

No way to say Thank You.

~

Thanksgiving is upon us in the United States.

From the blessings we received this year, and throughout our lives in whole, have we taken the time to thank those who have blessed us?

If you know who they are, tell them!

This is true across all platforms, from the kind gesture of the co-worker who stays with you and encourages you along to the finish line of a project, to the employee that has carried your groceries all the way to the car.

And it is the same with those things you enjoy and haven’t said thanks lately – the podcast you listen to but haven’t taken the time to review, the app you use every day but haven’t rated, even things you read that end up in your feed or inbox.

How do you show appreciation?

I know when someone says something of gratitude to me it lifts me for days to come.

I know acknowledgement and encouragement inspires me to do the same, and it has become one of my Signature Moves and Promises in life, to be someone who shows extreme thanks when I get the chance.

Imagine not being able to!

Imagine not having the chance to tell the teacher who changed your life: Thank You.

What about the parent who taught you so much, and with each year of life and new insight, you don’t take the time to call.  For some it’s too late.

How about the Mentor in your profession that showed you how to do your job better than you ever could have without them?

~

I saw a video where a man was in an audience of Holocaust survivors and didn’t realize they were all there to thank him for saving their lives.  Can you imagine that kind of thanks?

Sir Nicholas Winton saved 669 children and…well…watch this video and try not to end up sobbing your eyes out.  Beautiful!  How wonderful!

Who can you show gratitude to this day, this hour, be it a text, a review, a comment or post on social media, a letter handwritten and left on the bed of a loved one?

Do it.  Now!

~

To finish our story of the mystery gift giver ~

I was wishing my friend Happy Birthday on Instagram when she asked if I’d received my present.

Present for what I asked?

She said for writing a letter to help their family with a situation that would have altered the course of their future.

I didn’t think the letter was that big of a deal, it took me a few minutes and was easy, it was just a favor for a friend and they had already thanked me via email and text.

And then, they sent this HUGE GIFT in appreciation!  A box of delicious, yummy, diet-busting goodness.

My family raced to the fridge and devoured the treats!

My wife and I laughed about it when we realized what had happened, my friends and I will never forget this story and experience, and I’ll never forget their kind gesture.

Yet how grateful we were to know who we could be thankful to for their gift!

This Thanksgiving give thanks to those you know have served you, and promise to do so with much gusto, gushing, and gratitude.  Don’t hold back!  Love each other and send love to those that have served you.

It will make you feel amazing.

I Promise.

~ jason 

Leadership Expert * Author * Speaker Hall of Fame * Award-Winning Entertainer

The Promise: Become a Legendary Leader and discover your Signature Moves

jasonhewlett.com

Ready to become a better Speaker for your next Presentation?  Let Jason show you how click here