“Saying goodbye. It’s a part of the human experience that we encounter every day, sometimes nonchalantly, sometimes with great emotion. Then, eventually, the time comes for the final goodbye” Mr. Zaslow
The Importance of Expressing Your Gratitude for Others
Earlier today, I was thinking about how I totally missed out on letting my old roommate know how much I appreciated our time together. I have been living in Costa Rica, and in the time I have been here I have met some great interesting people.
My roommate was one of them. She was quirky, smart, and adventurous. We all knew the day she was leaving was quickly approaching, yet it still felt far away. The day finally came, and she was off. I definitely did not give her, her proper goodbye. I am not really a person who does well with goodbyes; I am more of a see you later type of guy.
But I realized that I need to open up more and let the people I care about, know how much it means to me that they are a part of my life. I understand that I am only here for a certain amount of time and that there is only a limited amount of people that will come into my life. Does not matter if you were my girlfriend or just a stranger I talked to at the bus stop, just the mere fact that we connected is special to me.
Even the person who cut me off in traffic I am grateful for, because they provided an experience in which I practiced restraint and letting go of emotions that will not serve me. That’s why I am grateful for anyone who is a part of my experience here on earth. When I go get a cup of coffee, I mentally thank them for being a part of my life experience and appreciate their service.
Who Are You Grateful For?
I just want you to take some time to think about all the people in your life, and ask yourself the question, “Do they really know and understand what they mean to me?” If not make it a point to let them know how much you appreciate them being in your life. I am hopeful that one day I will see my old roommate again, but nothing in this life is certain. Take the time to let anyone who has added value to your life; know how much you appreciate them.
Take them out to lunch or write a letter (email) and be specific. Let them know exactly what it is that you are grateful for. Be sincere and genuine, they will appreciate it, don’t worry about feeling vulnerable, it’s okay to show that you are human.
Is it that they always empathetically listen to your problems and provide advice?
Are they your partners in crime as you travel around the world together?
Are they the one who is always there to give you the quick pep talk?
You can talk about all the great or not-so-great experiences you have had together and the lessons you have learned.
As far as people you would consider strangers, never take anything someone does for you for granted. Next time someone holds a door open for you, thank them. Does not need to be over the top, just a sincere “thanks” will do. The important thing is that internally you acknowledge the other person and really feel the gratitude. The other person will also silently feel your intent come across.
This does not mean you need to be friends with the whole world. We are all different and therefore you will not relate and connect with everyone. What is important is that you respect everyone and allow yourself to be open to the possibility of connecting with others.
Reach Out
I travel a lot and in the process, I use public transportation frequently. My experience is that most people are very quiet and keep to themselves. It’s almost as if it’s an unwritten law that you should stay quiet. But I make it a point to reach out to others.
Many times the other person will be delighted that I made an effort to connect and will have a great conversation. Other times they will look at you like you crazy, and that’s fine too. If you don’t try you won’t get a response. I am truly grateful for all the strangers I met on buses, trains, and cabs who have helped me in my travels by providing useful tips and recommendations.
When you are in a state of constantly being grateful, your soul dances with ever-increasing joy. You then practice the attitude of looking for the positive in all your situations and become open for even more great things to come into your life. When you are truly grateful for all the little things in life, life has a way of rewarding you with even greater experiences.
Thank you for reading my article. I hope it serves as a friendly reminder to not let another opportunity pass, in which you can express your appreciation and gratitude to another human being. Life is precious and amazing, but what makes the ride fun is the people you meet along the way in this game called life.
If you find my site valuable please pass it along to your friends and family. I really appreciate you helping me in my personal mission to empower as many people as I can.
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~ I really enjoyed reading this post. I agree, expressing an attitude of gratitude will brighten your day and those around you as well. We all have something to be grateful for, a way in which we’ve been blessed ~ often many things. It’s easy to look away, to avoid making eye contact with strangers. However, a smile reaches a lot further than you may realize. Thanks Ivan (¸.•´¯`•.¸¸.?
.-= Mysticle´s last blog ..Attitude of Gratitude =-.
thanks so much for contributing to my community and sharing your thoughts…very much appreciated :)….hope all is well….come back often 🙂
Just discovered your writing, so thank you for sharing all this good stuff with the world!
Gratitude is a wonderful thing that we’re taught how to do when we’re younger, but we have trouble remembering how it feels when we’re older. I always carry a blank note card with a stamped envelope in my planner (This probably makes me sound like I still etch petroglyphs into stone slabs), so when I think of someone – an old contact, a friend I haven’t seen in a while, any person from my past that would pop into my mind – I’d write them a quick note and send off the card. It’s never been with any actual ‘foreknowledge,’ but it is amazing how many calls I get back from the recipients thanking me for thinking of them at this difficult time. It really all does happen for a reason!
@Janice Plado Dalager:
Thanks so much for stopping by Janice. That is a great idea, thank your for sharing your thoughts with everyone. Take care, hope all is well.
This is so true. And now I feel guilty about being so impersonal to strangers. Just like today I was at the store and barely even looked at the lady who was ringing up my stuff let alone talk to her, but now I think I should have. Who knows, it may have just made her day or mine?
Hi Ivan, I liked your post! What a great reminder to have gratitude for every encounter. Looks like I’m moving from my fav place, San Diego and going back to Florida where my family lives. I will be saying goodbye to this place and lots of friends. On to the next adventure! I enjoyed your Costa Rica video as well – AMAZING.
As I prepare for my RTW trip departing in January I am starting to realize how I took things for granted. I’ve started seeing life differently and to appreciate the people in my life and the time that I have on earth with them whether it be a boyfriend, friend, acquaintance, or stranger. We all have stories to tell and value to add if we would be open and receptive to it.
I’ll be saying good-bye to an amazing group of friends, letting go of my two precious puppies, and moving on to a different sort of life. We never know when anything can be taken away from us so we must learn to appreciate things and let people know how we feel about them or what we like about them as we think about it. We need to hear those things more often.
This post really resonated with me, in those ways. I wrote a post about my grieving process regarding my friends just a few days ago.
http://www.whereisjenny.com/2010/09/the-beginning-of-the-end-rtw-travel/
Expressing gratitude for those we love and appreciate is so important and so often given second seat to our complaining and criticizing. Thanks for reminding us to not only say thank you, but to be specific about what it is we appreciate.