A friend of mine suggested that Mesa Falls in Eastern Idaho was worth the visit. It is absolutely gorgeous! When I showed him the pictures and thanked him for
suggesting we visit, he said, "I am so glad you enjoyed it! It is a beautiful place."
Do you see it? The double gratitude? It was a very natural and simple conversation, yet, there is some relationship-type lessons we can unpack here. First, my friend knew I loved the outdoors, traveling, and that I was a photographer. He had the confidence to refer Mesa Falls to me. I had the confidence in his suggestion to take the side-trip when I was in Idaho.
Second, I was truly grateful for his suggestion. Mesa Falls is beautiful. There are two falls - the Upper and the Lower. I took numerous photos. I will share some of them at a later time. This one shows the powerful magnitude of the falls. When I shared the pictures with my friend and told him how much we enjoyed this excursion, he had such a big smile. You see, I was showing appreciation, and I was perhaps, validating his recommendation. People appreciate that they are appreciated. It is a mutual "feel good" opportunity.
Imagine, if we all took an opportunity to express our gratitude to someone! You have the ability to lift someone up - a strength each of us possess! It costs you nothing, but the rewards are great! You are spreading thankfulness, and truthfully, our world could use more of that.
Here is what I have been trying to do. I will leave a positive review of a restaurant, doctor, business, etc. if they deserve a positive review. If I believe I cannot be positive about an experience, I let it go. I will not leave a negative review.
I participate in a number of online training classes and seminars. I will try to interact as requested by the presenter. I have talk many, many classes online, and it is such a treat when people interact and make the presentation more involved. I loved it! Our church pastors send out weekly emails. The other day, one of the pastors wrote something that resonated strongly with me. So I emailed him and thanked him. He emailed me back and thanked me for encouraging him!
Be sincere. People can see through insincerity. You can always be polite, but a true expression of gratitude is a little more than being polite. It means, "what you said, stand for, recommended, explained, etc. had a meaningful positive impact on me."
Please drop me a line and let me know your thoughts on gratitude. I leave you now so I can go do some practicing! Best always,
Charlotte
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