Just some hump-day inspiration compliments of Wordboner have a fantastic day!

The Importance of Showing Gratitude

I was out to lunch with coworkers last week, and everyone was telling funny work-related stories. Someone told one about how her boss had left his work bag on the train, and when they by some miracle found it- she sent a dozen roses to the person who did. I couldn’t help but be proud that this was my coworker, but also ashamed at myself at the same time. I would never have thought to do this! Then I started thinking, about how many people that have helped me, and in return I had only given them a quick “thank you.”

This incident wasn’t the first time I had thought about how my gratitude meter at work (and outside of work) needed a boost. Since I’ve started working at my new job two weeks ago, I’ve learned many many things, but the biggest lesson I’ve learned is the importance of encouraging and thanking the people you work with. We have this online tool, where you send “love” to anyone who deserves it- whether that is going out of their way to help you with something, making improvements, or doing a great job on a project. You might think this sounds odd, but really what it is- is taking one step further than a quick “thank you” to show people how appreciative you are- which sadly, we don’t often do. In fact the word “thank you” has become so common place that it has about the same weight as “sorry”. It’s better than saying nothing, but the word alone isn’t enough when people go out of their way to be a great friend, family member or coworker.

If you take 5 minutes each day- literally just 5 minutes, and send a thank you email or text or flowers or card basically any form of thank you to anyone that helps you, it will drastically improve relationships. Honestly, when was the last time you thanked the IT guy or girl at your work for helping fix your computer, your Dad for reminding you to get an oil change on your car, your coworker for getting you lunch, or your friends for just being awesome? Chances are, (if you are like me) it’s been awhile. And it doesn’t have to be in written form- picking up an extra coffee for your coworker in the morning, or grabbing a reeses for your friend if they are having a bad day- are all easy ways of showing gratitude. Is this the same as kissing as*? Nope unless you are doing it with expectations of something in return which shouldn’t be the case. All you need in return, is knowing that you are showing people what it means to be a good coworker, or friend and they’ll pass that on to someone else who needs it.

As Kennedy said, “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”

Change: a.To cause to be different b.To transfer from (one conveyance) to another c.To become different or undergo alteration

If there is one thing in life that is certain it is that change is inevitable.

Change comes in many forms, today will change into tomorrow, your age will change each year, you will change you mind, you will change where you live, you will change who you love, the things that matter most in the world to you will change.

Everyone deals with change in their own way, some embrace it and seek it out, while others reject it and do absolutely everything they can to avoid dealing with it.  So what makes change so hard and why is it something that causes constant fear and stress? Change can mean taking a risk and often not knowing what exactly is going to happen next. Change comes in many shapes in sizes from something as significant as getting a new President of the United States to deciding to change your morning routine.

As a society we often overlook the fact that we have much more control over change than we sometimes realize. It is too easy to just blame things in life on change and act as though we had no say over them, when more often than not we do.

The most important characteristic of change lies in the beauty of it’s power. Over the past few years the world has witnessed the impact that Gen Y has made in politics, social issues and becoming a prominent and respected part of the business world. With this being said our generation has been given more opportunity than any before us, we have access to so much information instantaneously through the Internet and accessibility to millions of people through social media.

Slowly becoming an adult gives us the freedom to decide and figure out who we are and where we fit in this world. Although it is a confusing time it is so exciting because we can decide what we want to do with our free time what we dedicate ourselves to, and instead of just being a student or a employee we have the choice to become ambassadors of change. I know this many sound a bit intimidating but it doesn’t mean single-handed saving the world but it does mean becoming proactive in your own way.

It is easy to get caught up in the every day routine of life and forget about everything going on outside our personal world. Here and now is the time to ask ourselves what have we done for others? What positive change have we contributed to? Maybe making a change is as simple as getting a compost bin to help eliminate trash or taking an even better step and setting aside a couple hours a week to an non-profit that you believe in and helping them out.

Change is an overwhelming word but when we think of it in terms of the small every day changes we can make and encourage others to make it seems a lot less scary. I know everyone always makes the point that if everyone made small changes in would in fact make a HUGE difference but it is the truth and it is now about taking matters into your own hands.

The founders of CoolPeopleCare recently published a book called New Day Revolution discussing the importance of taking even one minute our our busy days to make a conscious effort to do something proactive. Highlighting the importance of making an impact where we are with what we’ve got. The past month Life Without Pants has been asking bloggers to share their thoughts on change so check out their site for all the thought provoking posts and different approaches others take dealing with change.

Do the world a favor and ask yourself today, what am I doing to instill positive change in the world?

And as my favorite all time quote states above, be the change you wish to see in the world!