I incorporate gratitude in little ways that have proven to make a difference. I have a practice that when I fly internationally from the USA, I make little treat bags for the flight crew. I include a lip balm, hand lotion, candies, and a little note thanking them for keeping me and my fellow passengers safe in the air.
Not one person who has received one of these little bags has been anything but surprised and happy. You could even say that my gratitude inspired their gratitude back. In every flight almost every flight attendant (and even the pilot on an Air France flight) stopped by my seat to say thank you. They have also gifted me with first class treats and travel bags, ziploc bags filled with food, and countless smiles.
I don’t make those treats to receive gifts in return (although I am always grateful to my air hosts!). I do it because showing gratitude is something we should all do more.
At WordCamp Asia last year, I ate breakfast at the same hotel buffet every morning. The first day I gave a tiny plastic duck and a Michelle Wapuu sticker to my server. The next day she (Cherry) rushed over to be my server and show me that she had the sticker on her phone, and a few other servers wanted them, too.
At WordCamp US in St. Louis, I had a wonderful conversation with my Uber driver, a Pakistani woman named, Tahira. I learned that her husband lived in Rochester, NY (where I’m from), but she was earning money to support his studies by keeping her family in St. Louis and driving Uber and Lyft. I gave her a gift from a prior WordCamp Buffalo and my business card. Later that day Angela Bowman was in her car…and she told her about me. Of course, Angela knew me and made the connection.
I don’t share these stories to say “look how amazing I am,” but rather to share how having a grateful heart has helped me travel in a sometimes scary world, and how much I’ve enjoyed it. Being outwardly grateful has made my life so much happier.
I give a talk about customer success where I say “don’t say thank you,” which has been taken out of context before. The rest of the slide says “show gratitude in other phrases and ways.”
When you show gratitude in other ways, those receiving your gratitude are often more engaged in receiving it. They are pleasantly surprised.
Be grateful to others. Say what you’re grateful for. Show service people how indispensible they are. And find a lot more people who find YOU someone they want to spend time with.
I know you’ve felt grateful, been shown gratitude, and shown gratitude to others. Tell me about those times in the comments. I’d be grateful if you do!
