Thank you – ECARD

Thanksgiving – Does gratitude spring from your heart or from you lips?

How many people will you say, “Thank you” to, today?

Your doorman. The cab driver. The guy at the coffee shop. The person who holds the door open for you. Or asks you to have a seat in the lobby. When you think about it, you probably say “Thank you” more times than you realize everyday.

The question is, how many times do you really mean it?

We learn to say the words early on. Even 2-year olds know to thank you when you give them treats. Sure, the words sound sweet and it seems like they’re the right thing to say. But, when you give it some thought, you’ll probably see that most of the time, they’re empty.

We say thanks when someone wishes us a nice day, and yet, do we really spend a moment to appreciate the beautiful day outside? We say, “Thank you” to the person who hands out our order at the drive in. And yet, do we really feel the gratitude deep in our hearts, for the food we are so blessed to have everyday? “Thanks.” “Thank you.” “Appreciate it” are words we use over and over, without giving as much as a thought to what they really stand for.

Gratitude – is it just a seasonal, marketing tool?

It’s one of those over-stressed, yet under-valued concepts that has spotlight shined on it every once in a while. Like around Thanksgiving, for example. The entire month of November, you’ll probably see articles and blog posts everywhere you look about being thankful. Come December, and the focus will turn to the best holiday deals and New Year’s parties. Why is it that something that ought to be an intrinsic part of our lives and our vocabularies acquires importance only during certain times and fades away into oblivion for the rest of the year? How did we end up reducing gratitude to something like a seasonal allergy that we talk about only when everybody else is talking about it?

How do we go back to being grateful for and appreciative of the gifts in our lives, not just around Thanksgiving, but all through the year, year after year?

Before you say “Thank you”, stop. The next time you’re about to say the magic words, catch yourself. Think about what you’re going to say. Whether you’re about to thank the cashier at a store or the teller at the bank, remind yourself what you’re grateful for, before you utter the words. They will sound far more sincere, leaving you (and the other person) in a better, more appreciative frame of mind.
When you say it, mean it. Or don’t say it. When you say “Thank you”, make sure you’re expressing your feelings, not just exercising your lips.
Be thankful, even if you don’t say it out loud. There are countless gifts we’re blessed with – small and big, for which we can’t be thankful enough. Be it our family, friends, our health, our jobs, our lifestyles, the opportunities we’re given, the talents we have or just the fact that we’re alive. Regardless of your religious beliefs and faith, appreciate all that you have at least once everyday. You don’t have to be expressive – just spend 30 seconds thinking about and being thankful for the wonderful gifts in your life.
Thank the people closest to you. They’re the people who care the most for us and who love us unconditionally. They’re also the people we appreciate the least. Parents, grandparents, siblings, friends, children, husband/wife…we can never thank the people we love enough simply for being a part of our lives. Just thinking about what life would have been like without even one of them…makes me shudder. But, sadly, they’re the people, I’ve probably said the least “Thank you”s to! If you’re like me, today’s the day to change that and become more appreciative of all their loving gestures. If you’re not too good with words, or don’t live close to them, our Thank you Ecards are a great place to start. Of course, adding your personal note or even better, making your own Printable Thank You Cards would be great.

What are you really thankful for today? And how will you say it?

Countless Ways to Say Thank You

Two words. Countless ways

When you appreciate someone, there are many different ways to say ‘Thank you’. You could make the effort to go meet the person and express your gratitude. You could pick up the phone and surprise him with a ‘Thank you’ phone call. If you get the voice mail, try to call back at another time, instead of simply leaving a message. Some of us prefer emails which offer another great option. But be sure to personalize each email instead of sending out a bulk email to multiple recipients. Traditional thank you notes never go out of fashion. They may be more time-consuming, and not many of us may have the patience to hand pick thank you cards and to pen our feelings of gratitude. But if we do take the effort, hand written thank you notes have a special way of touching people’s hearts and staying in their minds. They also give you the opportunity to convey your unique feelings for each person.

Sending personalized Thank you ecards are another wonderful way to say Thanks without spending a dime. When you choose a free ecard from gotfreecards.com, not only can you include your picture and personalized voice message, but also send creatively animated visuals to accompany your message.

Whichever method you choose, the sincerity with which you express your thanks is most important. Thanksgiving day offers us the opportunity to be thankful for all the gifts in our lives. Once a year may not be enough, but this Thanksgiving day could be a start to saying heartfelt ‘Thank you’s all through the year!

Celebrate Thanksgiving Everyday

You don’t have to wait until Thanksgiving day to start expressing your thanks. You can start today. In fact, gratitude should have a place in our daily life. Everyday, we are showered with hundreds, maybe thousands of blessings, which most of us tend to take for granted. It’s not that we are not grateful, it’s just that our lifestyle leaves us little or no time to express thanks every day. So, how about simplifying it? Here’s an easy routine almost anyone who wishes to express gratitude more often can adopt. Simply make a list of five things you are thankful for every day. And then thank the people responsible for those five gifts. Doing this every day for a month, will make it a habit. And once something is a habit, it will easily fit into your lifestyle or schedule, no matter how hectic it is. For example, my list today might look something like this:

I am thankful for:
1.    The fact that I can work from home and stay close to my baby. I am grateful to all my clients who give me this opportunity.
2.    The laptop my husband gifted me last birthday. It is my window to the world.
3.    My parents who support me completely in all that I do and without whom it would be impossible for me to care for my child while still working from home.
4.    My best friend who is an inspiration, motivation and my guidance counselor whenever I need her.
5.    The view from my home office window which uplifts my mood and makes my work space inviting.

So, I am going to start today my sending a free ecards from gotfreecards.com to each and every person who makes my day and my life more beautiful. This year, I am not going to wait until Thanksgiving to say ‘Thank you’. How about you?