29 Ways to Show Gratitude

It’s the day after Thanksgiving in the USA.  I hope you and your family had a wonderful holiday.  In Wednesday’s post, I mentioned that it is a good idea to make giving thanks a habit, not a once a year occurrence.  I think that this is great life and career success advice.

Later that day, I came across an interesting article by Scott Dinsmore entitled “29 Ways to Show Unique Gratitude.”   Scott suggested sending the list to a few friends.  As a reader of my blog, I consider you a friend, so I am posting Scott’s list here.  Check it out…

29 Ways to Show Unique Gratitude

1. Tell someone face to face how much they mean to you.
2. Write a thank you note (via snail mail).
3. Send a post card.
4. Pack your lunch and then give it to those you come across who need it.
5. Put a sticky note somewhere random that’ll make someone smile.
6. Leave a creative smiley face for your spouse (I make mine with a banana and two apples in the kitchen).
7. Smile ear to ear at everyone you see – it’s contagious.
8. Call someone you know is in a tough spot and just listen for as long as they’d like.
9. Give your books a new home with a new mind.
10. Call, email or write your closest 5 people in your life and let them know the unique impact they have on your life.
11. Pay for the person’s Starbucks who’s behind you in line.
12. Get a $100 in 2-dollar bills from the bank and use them as your tip money – guaranteed smile.
13. Get a doggy bag no matter how small your leftovers are. Give it to the first person you see who needs it.
14. Buy a dozen sandwiches and pass then out to homeless folks in a busy area (one of my favorites).
15. Give an anonymous donation of whatever you can afford.
16. Buy a lottery ticket for a homeless person.
17. Take that coat or jacket you never wear and give it to someone on the street (do this with anything you haven’t worn in the past 6 months).
18. Make a friend their favorite meal.
19. Or buy them a bottle of wine and drink it together, slowly, with no agenda.
20. Share an experience with someone you love- perhaps a sunset or special walk.
21. Send one of my articles to someone you know could use it.
22. Open a door for someone.
23. When someone’s having car troubles, instead of speeding by frustrated, stop to help.
24. Give genuine compliments to those you hardly know (like a waiter or bus driver).
25. Leave a huge tip (I love doing this with breakfast, since the bill is usually low).
26. Donate a week of your life to a good cause like Eric Shama’s offers with One Week a Year.
27. Leave an inspirational book on the bus.
28. Leave a $2 bill (or $1) on a random windshield.
29. Take a picture for a tourist.

That’s a great and fun list of things you can do to show your gratitude and help others.  I’m going to start leaving my career advice books on public transportation. 

In South Africa, the town of Hermanus is one of the world centers for whale watching. Between May and December southern right whales come so close to the Cape shoreline that visitors can watch whales from their hotels. The town employs a “whale crier” (cf town crier) to walk through the town announcing where whales have been seen.

You can watch the whales in Hermanus from the cliff tops, from a boat or the air. Boat-based whale watching tours are available out of the Hermanus New harbour which allows the public to view southern right whales from June till Mid December. Port Elizabeth runs a boat-based san diego whale watching tour out of the Port Elizabeth harbour which allows the public to view southern right whales from July to November, humpback whales from June to August and November to January, and Bryde’s whales all year round, up-close. Visitors can also see humpback whales from the lighthouse at Cape Recife (the Westerly point of Algoa Bay), and southern right whales from viewing points along the coast.

Cathy, my wife, is a wonderful person.  We have tickets for the stage performance of “Shrek” this Saturday.  We were talking about how it’s a delightful play for kids.  She suggested that we give our tickets to a young woman we know who is a single mother.  We did, and we both felt pretty good about bringing a little fun into a mother and little girl’s life this Thanksgiving weekend.  Think about it.  It costs little to be generous and can really mean a lot to other people.  Take a second look at Scott’s list.  Pick one and follow through on it.

I hope that your thanksgiving was fun and relaxing.  I hope that the upcoming holiday season will be wonderful for you and your family.  And I hope that the new year will bring you all the life and career success you want and deserve.

Bud

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