Saying Thank You (Non-Mushy Edition!)

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I have decided one of the most important skills I have (somewhat) mastered in my short time here on Earth is the expression of gratitude in a non-mushy non-embarrassing-to-either-party way. The reason I got pretty good at it is I've been trying to express gratitude for everything, ever, for a while now. And it took me a long time to realize why most people recoil when you get all serious and emotional and whatever. It's because we are a bunch of embarrassed fools.

There's nothing I can do about that. So I learned to work with it. Now I can express my grateful feelings without making the party I wanted to thank feel uncomfortable. Win-win! Making the person who we are thanking feel awkward is doing the opposite of what we intended, so let's focus on making them feel great!

Say it casual.

Seriously. Say it casually. Even if you are saying something really meaningful. Say it like you would say, "Wow, the weather is pleasantly warm." Excited, genuine, but not like you are going to tear up.

K.I.S.S.

Nope, not "kiss!" That's not casual. It stands for "Keep It Simple, Stupid." Really, you can keep it simple. A good example is "Thank you for saving my dog from that angry cat." Just express what you are trying to say. No need to try to outdo Shakespeare. Short and to the point!

Smile like you mean it.

Seriously. Body language is more than half of how we communicate. Give them the appropriate smile for your situation, and you should be golden. You can give them a hug if it seems appropriate. When in doubt, leave it out.

I hope this helps you guys express your gratitude without being super mushy or uncomfortable. If you have some thank yous that have been piling up, better late then never. Just give them a call! Tell them that you were just thinking about that nice thing they did, and you wanted to say thanks. People who express gratitude regularly lead longer, happier lives, so go for it!

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