Giving Thanks

“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.”
- William Arthur Ward

Thank you. It’s one of the first phrases taught to young children just learning to speak and interact with the world. When they forget, grown-ups are right there to remind them, What do you say? Eventually, it becomes second nature, even to the point of saying thank you when we are not truly appreciative. But expressing gratitude is more than simply showing good manners. The act of being thankful can actually improve your relationships, well-being, and invite more blessings into your life.

Every person that you interact with offers a great deal of blessings in your life—blessings we ought to show thanks for. Kabbalistically, a heartfelt thank you creates more Light in the world. Whether you show your gratitude with a hug, a note, a handshake, a gift, a cake, or a smile, the person being thanked not only associates you with this Light, they feel they have made a difference in the world and are more likely to pay it forward.

It doesn’t take much to give thanks to those who help us out or make our days a little brighter. But what about the people who challenge us or force us to examine our shortcomings? It’s not as easy to see challenges as blessings. All to often we place blame on others for making our lives harder or blocking our path to achieving our goals. However, those who challenge us deserve our gratitude as well. You may be wondering how gratitude for the person who steals your parking space is even possible. But whether they assist us by giving us exactly what we want or by forcing us to grow through overcoming an obstacle, those who help us are channels of Light—hard to believe some days, but true. If we neglect to show our gratitude, we are cutting ourselves off from the source of more blessings.

There are thousands of things to be thankful for daily and conscientiously reflecting on gratitude can positively impact one’s attitude and approach to life. When psychology professors, Robert A. Emmons and Michael E. McCullough, studied the connection between gratitude and daily well being, they instructed participants to keep a gratitude journal. Each week those in the study wrote down five things they were grateful for. Their responses didn’t have to be long, just one sentence. But over an extended period of time, those who kept the journal reported feeling more optimistic, happier, and engaged in more activities than those who didn’t take note of weekly blessings.

In the biblical chapter, Ki Tavo, Moses tells the Israelites that when they enter the land of Israel they “shall make offering there and rejoice before God.” Just like a parent reminding their children to send thank-you notes for the holiday gifts they’ve received, Moses reminds the Israelites to give thanks to the Creator by offering the first fruits of the season: grapes, figs, pomegranates, and dates. He tells them that by showing gratitude, they open the door to more blessings in their lives.

The ancient wisdom of Moses is just as relevant today. Showing your thankfulness through action, is the highest form of gratitude. As Michael Berg states in Secrets of the Bible, “Even a simple spiritual tool like appreciation can reveal new Light if we don’t settle for expressing it in words, but take action to show our gratitude.”

It’s never too late to say thank you, even if it is for something someone did for you 15 years ago. Take a moment to reflect on the blessings you’ve been given over the course of your life. An employer who took a chance on you, a mentor or coach who didn’t accept less than your best, a friend who helped you through a troubling time—each of them deserve gratitude for the opportunities and blessings they helped provide you. Reach out and show your appreciation.

“Start every day by taking a moment to ground yourself in the here-and-now. When you do you will realize that you have never been in this moment before; it’s unique, so savor every aspect of its newness.” - Michael Berg