Thank you – the magic word

It's not just children but adults too who need to be taught the wonders of giving thanks. Or is it too late by then? Taking things and people for granted is a worrisome trend these days which probably accounts for much of the strife in our society.

As always it is as a result of a setback that you tend to come to appreciate the things that you have left. As human beings we are by default self-centred. On the other side of the coin we are craving for acknowledgement and acceptance. So if you build the habit of uttering a well thought of and deserved "thank you" in your conversation, the rewards are manifold. You have heard the phrase: "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." When we meet a new person a quick mental evaluation occurs in our thoughts to discern ally from opposent.

Compliments from a stranger always seems unsincere because they don't have any background with you to qualify giving any report on your personality - good or bad. People in sales of all creeds have learned the good one-liners from Dale Carnegie's book "how to win friends and influence people". In the current society of rampant divorce and distrust at work the motto is more like "how to alienate strangers and bust your marriage"...

If something is going to change it might as well be you. To give is better than to receive. Following up on that, you will discover more long lasting satisfaction in releasing an associate to be the best thei can be than in concentrating on your short term goals.

Amazing isn't it? Would altruistic motives be the cure for a decadent society? Utopians have mused about this for centuries but the reality is that we live in a spiritual world as well as a physical world. Unless you acknowledge the forces at play which pull your attitude one way or another you will keep being indecisive not knowing who to obey.

Notice I use the world obey here. You thought you were a mature person - in control of your own destiny. Just look at your life and you will find this is not so. You find it impossible to connect with God? You'd rather not connect with God at all, hoping you don't have to answer to anybody for your existence? You are wasting away searching for value and reason in a world that's going nowhere fast? Why don't you rejoice that someone dared to tell you about Jesus Christ, the Son of God