WOW! Women On Writing Blog: thankful

A Little Thanks Goes a Long Way

Tuesday, November 17, 2020

I absolutely love this time of year.

Here in Wisconsin, the leaves have mostly left the trees

and every step you take you'll hear a crunch

as they're all beneath your feat.

It's a delightful time of year for baking (see picture above)

since the added warmth

and the delicious smells are sure to

entice the entire family to gather around

the table (or at least head to the kitchen).

And sweaters...

It feel so good to grab a mug of coffee, tea, or cocoa and

throw on a soft warm sweater.

I adore walking outdoors in the morning watching the

steam from my coffee then visiting with my horses

in their warm stable.

I begin each day making a mental list

of things I am thankful for

Here's why I do that and why I think you should too:

-When you count your blessings you realize how bountiful they are and regardless of your bank balance you'll feel rich!

-While you're thinking about things to be thankful for, you can turn off the noise of the world for a little bit - it's an emotional and mental break from stress.

-As you think about things to be thankful for, you will relax your muscles and begin to smile and breathe more deeply which is good for mind and body.

-When you are thankful, you'll start looking for more things to be thankful for throughout the day and we all know that when you look for something you'll find it.

Nothing I'm saying here is new and if you prefer hearing it from someone older, wiser, and famous - check out what Shakespeare himself had to say about being thankful

"Oh Lord that lends me life,
lend me a heart replete with thankfulness"
~William Shakespeare

As you know, thanksgiving is quickly approaching here in the United States. Yes, this year is going to look a little different than years past, but the fact remains we can still take time to be thankful, show thanks, and smile.

What are some ways you can step up your thankfulness game?

-offer to pay for someone's groceries

-send a thank you card to someone who has touched your life

-call someone you haven't spoken to in a while and thank them for their friendship

-thank someone on social media for brightening your day with their pictures and stories

-speak to the manager at a store and tell them you're thankful for a particular employee who went above and beyond to provide you with delightful customer service

-thank an author for writing such lovely stories (don't forget the best way to thank an author is by leaving a review)

Please leave a comment on this article and share your thoughts and ideas about spreading thanks today and always! Thank you for taking time to read this today and thank you for being you!

Hugs,
~Crystal

and now...a little more about me...

Shown from left to right:
Delphine riding Honey
Mr. Otto holding Eudora
Crystal riding Marv.
Thank you Forward Farm, LLC

And now she runs a virtual classroom for her children who are distance learners!

You can find Crystal milking cows, riding horses, and the occasional unicorn (not at the same time), taking the ordinary and giving it a little extra (making it extraordinary), blogging and reviewing books here, and at her own blog - Crystal is dedicated to turning life's lemons into lemonade and she has never (not once) been accused of being normal!

1 comment attitude, attitude of gratitude, gratitude, thankful, thanks, thanksgiving

Two Powerful Words

Thursday, June 11, 2020

This is an anonymous thank you card
we recently received - how sweet!

Thank You for taking time to read this. Thank You for leaving a comment. Thank You for all you do. Thank You for your bravery. Thank You for your assistance. Thank You for being You! Thank You for putting up with me! It doesn't matter what you follow these words with, the two most powerful words in each sentence are these short words:

THANK YOU

Years back I wrote an article about the art of accepting a Thank You because so many of us are uncomfortable when someone shows gratitude for something we have done. The gist of that article was you should just say "you are welcome" and not try to return the gracious compliment...but I digress...

At all times, but especially during difficult times, it is very important to say Thank You and mean it. Some people love helping others. When you help someone who is truly thankful, it feels really great! When you help someone who doesn't acknowledge you, it feels sort of like an insult. I know for me, it takes the wind right out of my sails. Even if I do something anonymously, if I find out the person wasn't at all thankful it makes me wonder ... should I have done that? should I have done more? should I have helped someone else instead? etc...

Whether you are a struggling small business thanking your patrons, a flourishing corporation thanking your employees, a neighbor thanking someone for a helping hand, the power of gratitude is something that can't be always be measured in dollars or cents. I was helping a friend the other day and he told me a story about something that happened 10 years ago. He helped his sister at her job and the owner of the business sent him a thank you card. He still has that card and it means the world to him. That simple gesture has made him a better person. He continues to help people, but he also wants them to feel the same way he did when he received that note, so he is one of the first folks to say thank you to someone who helps him.

That simple thank you card over a decade ago has allowed him to go on and spread the gratitude to others. It's a domino effect. I have a stack of thank you cards in my drawer, some in the glove box of my car, several on the bulletin board in my office, and another dozen in my home office. They make me feel good on days when I wonder if it's all worth it, and they are a constant reminder how two little words can make a world of difference in someone's life.

Do you have a signature way you say thank you? As an author, it's vitally important to thank your reviewers, followers, and friends - how do you use these two powerful words to strengthen your brand and show gratitude?

Has someone touched your life with a thank you card or other way they showed gratitude and appreciation?

Leave your comments here! In our current world, it's important to share the positives and we would love to hear from you!

THANK YOU!

Hugs,
~Crystal

and now...a little more about me...

Shown from left to right:
Delphine riding Honey
Mr. Otto holding Eudora
Crystal riding Marv.
Thank you Forward Farm, LLC

Crystal is the office manager, council secretary, financial secretary, and musician at her church, birth
mother, Auntie, babywearing mama, business owner, active journaler, writer and blogger, Blog Tour Manager with WOW! Women on Writing, Press Corp teammate for the DairyGirl Network, Unicorn Mom Ambassador, as well as a dairy farmer. She lives in Wisconsin with her husband and their five youngest children, two dogs, four little piggies, a handful of cats and kittens, horses Darlin' and Joker, pony Miss Maggie May, and over 250 Holsteins.

You can find Crystal milking cows, riding horses, and riding unicorns (not at the same time), taking the ordinary and giving it a little extra (making it extraordinary), blogging and reviewing books here, and at her own blog - Crystal is dedicated to turning life's lemons into lemonade and she has never (not once) been accused of being normal!