Gratitude
by Howie Nestel
Business Editor
SA Monthly Magazine
November 2022
Thank You! Americans say “thank you” on average 13 times a day…that’s 5,000 times a year. But half the time, we don’t actually mean it. When expressing gratitude properly, face-to-face can make a big difference. When that’s not an option, a simple phone call or small token of appreciation can also do the trick. Did you know that 1/3 of Americans have never given someone a box of chocolates, flowers, or even sent out a handwritten thank-you card?
Gratitude is the secret to a happy life, and I’ll explain. Without gratitude, no matter how much money we make, how big our homes are, how many cars we have, or how famous we become, we’re always left with a sense of wanting something more, something different. Gratitude is so important that the UN General Assembly has designated every January 11th as World Thank-You Day.
Gratitude is the key to happiness. And, that same key unlocks the fullness of life. It could take what we have and make it enough. It has the power to turn a meal into a feast. It could turn a simple roof over our heads into a mansion. John F. Kennedy said, “as we show gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them.”