IF you look to others for fulfillment, you will never truly be fulfilled. If your happiness depends on money, you will never be happy with yourself. Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.—Lao Tzu
Lao Tzu’s thoughts ring loudly during this Thanksgiving week—an American tradition that is nice to imitate in the Philippines—where an attitude of gratitude is a central theme, which talks of the simple joy of living from a grateful heart. We are all encouraged to say a word of thanks to those who have been nice to us and even to those whom we believe we should be nice to, even if, at some point, they have disagreed with us or have put us in troubling situations.
An attitude of gratitude is giving praise
IT is a great way to start, grow and preserve friendships, keep respect and honor in place and joy overflowing. It is the foundation of success in public relations work—for anything PR people get involved in, or any connection we capture, embrace and nurture. It is extolling an assistant or our fellow executives and PR colleagues who have done something good. It is identifying the explicit actions of a driver, security guard, bank teller or cleaning lady found to be admirable, which we share with others, not just the person being appreciated.
It is handwriting a note, giving a warm handshake, presenting a gift or treating somebody to lunch to express our pleasure for a good deed or a remarkable performance. It is sharing success stories with others—not to brag but to inspire, to motivate and move them to action. It is letting people know what their work means, how it helps and the kind of impact it creates.
Expressing thanks—good manners and right conduct
- Expressing thanks is a matter of good manners and right conduct. But more than that, it is simple decency in action. The person receiving it feels appreciated, and the person giving it feels grateful. It is an affirmation of an act of goodness, be it deliberate or random. It balances, completes and empowers the act of compassion and giving. And since the expression reflects indebtedness, it evokes a sense of humility in the person giving thanks, as it arouses and empowers the generosity of the spirit of both the receiver and the giver.
- Give your “thank you” with sincerity. It’s important to learn how to genuinely say it, particularly to those who share our resources. It helps repair the spirit and mend the fabric of our human interfaces. We may think it shows our vulnerability, but in truth, the openness we exude every time we say thank you lends itself to an emotional outpouring—appreciated or not—that preserves our personal well-being.
If we find it difficult to say thank you, look inward and find out why we have trouble saying it. Explore our feelings and our thoughts. Talk to someone we trust about it to get another perspective on the way we behave. Discover its importance, as well, and get spiritual guidance if we need to. If we don’t embrace the spiritual aspect, try talking to somebody higher in position, or better yet, somebody we respect.
Tremendous impact
THE impact of our actions on us and on our respective communities is tremendous. Take responsibility. Accept the challenge. Take the time. Know that we are, that we will, or that we can be role models to someone and are setting the example for others. Verbalize our grateful feelings because, undoubtedly, there is power in speech! Giving is one thing, but saying it is another. Just do it! A basic “thanks” can also be a heartfelt personal discussion. Thus, we should verbalize, verbalize and verbalize, because saying thank you becomes more powerful and important if we speak it.
It could go above money to motivate people. Acknowledging the work force with thankfulness and other little expressions of gratitude provides psychic income, a fundamental but important human need. It answers the need for social acceptance, a heightened sense of worth and improved self-realization. It brings a long-term influential effect, which can be more valuable than cash rewards. As we express our thanks to whomever, let me share some of my favorite thank-you quips from MJ Ryan’s inspirational book, Attitudes of Gratitude.
Favorite Quotes
- “Joy is prayer…joy is love…joy is a net of love by which we can catch souls. She gives most who gives with joy.”—Mother Teresa
- “Feelings of gratitude release positive endorphins throughout the body, creating health.”—Sharon Huffman
- “The invariable mark of wisdom is to see the miraculous in the common.”—Ralph Waldo Emerson
- “Mental sunshine will cause the flowers of peace, happiness and prosperity to grow upon the face of the Earth. Let’s be creators of mental sunshine.”—Graffiti on a wall in Berkeley, California
- “You cannot be grateful and unhappy at the same time.”— A woman to Dr. Tom Costa
- “The more light we allow within us, the higher the world we live in will be.”—Shakti Gawain
- “Our workaday lives are filled with opportunities to bless others. The power of a single glance or an encouraging smile must never be underestimated.”—G. Richard Rieger
- “The most invisible creators I know of are those artists whose medium is life itself; the ones who express the inexpressible—without brush, hammer, clay or guitar. They neither paint nor sculpt—their medium is their being. Whatever their presence touches has increased life. They see and don’t have to draw. They are the artists of being alive.”—J. Stone
- “If the only prayer you say in your whole life is ‘thank you,’ that would suffice.”—Meister Eckhart
- “Let’s feel the magic of those two little, big words, ‘thank you.’”—Ardath Rodale
Let me end with this: The six most important words: I admit I made a mistake.
The five most important words: You did a good job.
The four most important words: What is your opinion?
The three most important words: If you please.
The two most important words: Thank you.
The one most important word: We.
The least important word: I.— Anonymous
PR Matters is a roundtable column by members of the local chapter of the UK-based International Public Relations Association, the world’s premier organization for PR professionals around the world. Bong Osorio is the communications consultant and spokesman of ABS-CBN Corp.
We are devoting a special column each month to answer our readers’ questions about public relations. Please send your questions or comments to askipraphil@gmail.com