How to Express Gratitude
It’s easy to toss a #thankful or #grateful at the tail end af an Instagram caption confession. It’s easy to piggyback off or ‘ditto’ someone else’s expression of thanks without us really saying anything ourselves. And it’s also easy not to say anything at all; to hang up the phone and go about your day.
So, how do we express gratitude both personally and professionally? How do we express it in our word choice whether that’s out loud or via writing?
Here are some quick tips.
Just say it. (Or — just write it.)
A lot of time we dance around it or try to build up to it beautifully and artfully. In reality, saying or writing ‘Thank you for ______” or “I’m really grateful for ________” can mean just as much if not more.
What is it that you’re REALLY grateful for?
Yes, we’re grateful for our family and friends, we’re grateful for this meal, we’re grateful for time together.
But, seriously.
What are you REALLY grateful for? What ABOUT your family or your friends? Why THIS meal on THIS day THIS year? Why THIS special time together? Whatever you think it is you’re grateful for, push yourself to dig one layer deeper. It won’t ever take as long you think it will take. When you take that extra minute or two to think it through, you’ll find something even more special and unique to share with someone else or to thank them for.
Thank someone for a choice or action — versus a thing.
It’s really easy to say, ‘thank you for bringing the team coffee every morning’; but what about thanking someone for making that choice?
When you re-frame that gratitude to be about the choice or the action that person made, suddenly thanking someone for coffee becomes a different story. It becomes about thanking someone for thinking of you or remembering you in the swirl of their morning. And coffee vs. them-thinking-of-you are are two very different stories — and expressions of gratitude.
Use language that’s right for you.
The word ‘gratitude’ comes from the Latin word gratus which means ‘pleasing, thankful’, so it makes sense why and how we talk about gratitude today. Similar words in Sanskrit, Old Slavonic, and Old Russian mean ‘to praise’ which means if you’re uncomfortable or awkward using words like ‘grateful’ or ‘thankful’ you can actually praise someone, give them a shout-out, acknowledge them to achieve the same effect, impact, or feeling.
What’s that feeling? warmth.
Expressing gratitude, showing appreciation, and acknowledging others should always feel warm not only in your language, word choice, and delivery, but also in how it makes someone else feel. That’s really what it’s about.
Happy Thanksgiving.
And — thank you.
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oh heyyy. did you love this message? great. [and — ironically — thanks.] it originally appeared in toth shop’s newsletter. sign up here to receive it regularly. h/t.
