7 Ways to Show Gratitude, Be Thankful & Boost Your Motivation
In honor of Thanksgiving this week, I want to encourage you to voice your “attitude of gratitude”. Say thank you and give constructive feedback to your staff, friends, children, and co-workers and encourage them to be better in their lives and work.
Make it a habit to give people continual praise and encouragement. The more you praise and encourage positive constructive behaviors, the more deposits you make to the “emotional bank account.” Doing so will keep everyone around you inspired to thrive in life!
1) Appreciate People for Everything They Do
Always show appreciation. Every time you thank another person, you cause that person to like themselves better. You raise their self-esteem and improve their self-image. You cause them to feel more important. You make them feel that what they did was valuable and worthwhile. You empower them.
2) Build Your Own Self-Esteem By Thanking Others
And the wonderful thing about thanking other people is that, every time you say the words “thank you,” you like yourself better as well.
You feel better inside. You feel happier and more content with yourself and life. You feel more fully integrated and positive about what you are doing.
When you develop an attitude of gratitude that flows forth from you in all of your interactions with others, you will be amazed at how popular you will become and how eager others will be to help you in whatever you are doing. If you want to learn how to be confident in yourself, I suggest you begin with showing gratitude to others.
3) Praise and Approve Others Continually
Another way to make people feel important and give them a sense of power and energy, is by the generous use of praise and approval. Psychological tests show that, when children are praised by the people that they look up to, their energy levels rise, their heart rates and respiratory rates increase and they feel happier about themselves overall.
4) Try “One Minute Praising”
Perhaps the most valuable lesson in Ken Blanchard’s book The One Minute Manager is his recommendation to be giving “One-Minute Praising” at every opportunity.
If you go around your home and through your social relationships praising and giving genuine and honest approval to people for their accomplishments, large and small, you will be amazed at how much more people like you and how much more willing they are to help you achieve your goals.
5) Practice the Law of Reciprocity
There is a psychological law of reciprocity that says, “If you make me feel good about myself, I will find a way to make you feel good about yourself.”
In other words, people will always look for ways to reciprocate your kindnesses toward them. When you look for every opportunity to do and say things that make other people feel good about themselves, you will be astonished at not only how good you feel, but at the wonderful things that begin to happen all around you.
6) Pay Attention and Listen to Others
The third way to empower others, to build their self-esteem and make them feel important is simply to pay close attention to them when they talk.
The great majority of people are so busy trying to be heard that they become impatient when others are talking. But this is not for you. Remember, the most important single activity that takes place over time is listening intently to the other person when he or she is talking and expressing himself or herself.
7) Take Every Opportunity to Build People Up
Again, the three general rules for empowering the people around you, which apply to everyone you meet, are appreciation, approval, and attention.
Say thank you and voice your gratitude to others on every occasion. Praise them for every accomplishment. And pay close attention to them when they talk and want to interact with you. These three behaviors alone will make you a master of human interaction and will greatly empower the people around you.
I hope these tips help you stay grateful for all you have and stay motivated to continue your journey. If you ever need another motivational boost, be sure to check out my list of inspirational quotes complete with images and author bylines. You can download the images and save them for later, too.
Please leave a comment or share with your friends if you’ve enjoyed this post!
I hope that the holiday season treats you well and helps you to think about how thankful you are for what’s important in your life.
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About Brian Tracy — Brian is recognized as the top sales training and personal success authority in the world today. He has authored more than 60 books and has produced more than 500 audio and video learning programs on sales, management, business success and personal development, including worldwide bestseller The Psychology of Achievement. Brian's goal is to help you achieve your personal and business goals faster and easier than you ever imagined. You can follow him on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Linkedin and Youtube.