Inside Inspiration
 | Author:
Ellie West
Inside Inspiration: Certified NLP Coach/Practitioner Of Hypnosis and Timeline Therapy |
If there is one thing I learned from my Dad, it is always to write a personal thank you note to those who gave you a gift or someone who has done something kind or extraordinary for you. He taught me that a verbal thank you is never enough. That lesson has served me well.
I was flying in a leadership position on my last London trip and had arrived about 5 hours before my crew briefing. After a short nap, I sat down in the crew lounge to write thank you notes to my First Class passengers. All but one couple were Medallion members in that cabin. I decided to write them a thank you note as well and wish them a wonderful journey. As I was writing my notes, another flight attendant stopped by and asked what I was doing. I told her I was writing notes to my first-class passengers, thanking them for their continued loyalty and business. She said, “may I see what you write?” I said, “sure, but they are all a little different as I feel it is important to personalize each one. Writing a simple note of thanks to my passengers adds value and shows a genuine appreciation for their loyalty.”
When most of my passengers see that I have left them a note (at their seat) thanking them for their loyalty, they thank me. Those thank you notes have sparked some fascinating conversations. The recipient feels valued and appreciated.
Writing thank you notes has become a lost art in recent years. According to recent research, some 75 percent of Americans believe thank you notes are antiquated and obsolete. That is a staggering thought to me. How do we as a society revive the lost art of writing thank you’s? I believe it starts in the home. You can teach young children to be grateful for a gift they have received by spending a few minutes with them writing a thank you. It is a skill we can teach at a very young age as they learn gratitude and appreciation for the gifts they receive.
My granddaughter had a birthday party in the early part of summer. The following weekend we had a sleepover at our home. During our time, I grabbed some thank you notes, and we sat down at the table to write thank you cards for her birthday gifts. She loved writing them. I wrote a sample; she copied it in her six-year-old handwriting.
Researchers have proved that writing thank you notes is a positive thing. A study by two University of Chicago business professors, published last year in Psychological Science, found that people routinely underestimate the positive impact of expressing gratitude. Feeling grateful for a gift should never be outdated. Appreciation and gratitude can be shown with a handwritten thank you note.
If somebody did something for you unexpectedly, or you attended a fabulous event, write a note of gratitude. You’ll stand out…People will say, “don’t send me a note”. Do it anyway. The recipient will be thrilled. Write a thank you note to mark a significant life event. I recently hosted a large family gathering, and after the event, I wrote thank you notes to my family, thanking them for coming.
Writing thank you notes can be a savvy business tool. People who get thank you notes are pretty keen about people who send thank you notes.
Princess Diana was known as a meticulous writer of thank you notes. Her biographers say she sat down immediately after a dinner party to write her notes before she went to bed.
Late President George H. W. Bush was also a master of writing thank you's. He built bridges around the world with his notes. Most importantly, you will feel better about yourself. Showing your gratitude and appreciation brings a whole new perspective to your life.
“The power of the pen is not in the color of ink it spills, but the power of the word it spells” -Neha.
To connect with Ellie: https://www.coachinghearttoheart.com
