Many of us have found greater reasons to be thankful and appreciative in the last twelve months, perhaps due to the change of pace. These unprecedented times have led many of us to realize how much our comfortable homes, surroundings, close family members, and friends mean to us. This year has emerged as a time to be grateful for what we have, but also to really appreciate the special people who have stepped up for us and helped us through these long days and difficult times.
Our reflections may find us asking, ‘how can I thank you for all you have done for me, all the kindnesses done on my behalf?’ Let’s reflect on some ways to answer this question.
– Recognition what has been done for us with enthusiasm is a positive way of saying thank you. And of course we don’t know, it’s unlikely we ever will, what the personal cost was to them of doing something on our behalf. Making time for us, making his family uncomfortable, getting out of his own comfort zone could have been factors. Being openly appreciative and grateful goes some way to showing that we acknowledge and value all they have done for us.
– highlighting a specific item or aspect of your help and clearly illustrating how it made a difference in our lives, our stress levels and happiness is a positive way to thank someone for their care and support. Focusing on how they have contributed and helped, perhaps improving our knowledge, our coping skills, our skills and our motivation levels, gives a clear appreciation and legitimacy to our thanks.
– Recommendations They are an effective way to say thank you. In a business environment, we are likely to only recommend someone we trust, so any guarantees carry weight in other people’s decision-making process. A genuine and heartfelt referral, whether to our inner circle, on social media, or in a networking environment, demonstrates our faith in the person we’re referring. Spreading the word and giving testimony of how they have helped us is a valuable way to say thank you for their input and the quality of work.
– Reciprocating, whenever possible, it is an important way to show appreciation in appropriate situations. There may not be many opportunities to reciprocate, but referencing someone’s good work whenever we can, describing how they have helped us, can help return the compliment and support them in the best possible way.
Their care for us may have consisted of giving us time to take a much-needed break, checking in on us when they knew we were feeling down, helping with childcare, or helping out during an unprecedented work-from-home challenge. Our reciprocal ‘thank you’ can take the form of a beautiful homemade cake or dinner, or raving about how helpful they have been to others. There may be several potential options, and our efforts to support them are often seen as thank you enough.
– be a good friend is a sensitive way of saying ‘thank you’. Perhaps noticing if they’ve gone a little quiet, taking the time to reach out, making a friendly, conversational phone call, stopping by for coffee, or including them in something we think might be of interest to them. These are all ways of showing that we care about and value them, rather than just focusing on what they can do for us.
– Loyalty It’s also a good way to show appreciation, standing up for them if necessary, but also finding ways to praise their positive skills, traits, and good points. Like refusing to be drawn into any gossip or negative talk about them, and instead cutting off any hint of that happening any time soon.
– Remember things that are important to them, Your special dates, birthdays, anniversaries, can be another way to return the compliment and show appreciation. Or noticing something they might like or need, perhaps remembering a book they mentioned or seeing a promo for a concert or show that would interest them, even a new series starting on TV; Passing on information that they would appreciate is a good way to show that the relationship is not one-sided and that we are thinking of them, too.
– Be the best version of ourselves. it is often the best way to repay someone’s trust in us. Make the most of the opportunities that come our way and take advantage of those opportunities. Taking advantage of ways to maximize the support we’ve received allows them to feel proud of us and their role in our journey. Good, supportive friends love to see how well we’ve done and enjoy their part in our success.
And, if all else fails, a handwritten note, card, or simple bouquet of flowers is a great way to communicate our appreciation.
