A Simple "Thank you" 
 
     In our busy lives we often forget the smallest of things that mean the most to someone else.  That item we often forget to do is say a simple "Thank You".   This week we will focus on saying thank you to all of the people that were so generous to our Rotary community the past year.   
   

                                   

The Amazing Effect of Saying 'Thank You"

 
Mom was right. (Again.)

 

And now there is evidence to prove that expressing gratitude leads to increased feelings of interpersonal warmth that in turn helps old and new relationships grow stronger and closer.

"Our study shows just how important it is to say thank you to someone," explained study leader and social psychologist Monica Bartlett at Gonzaga University. "A simple thank you leads people to view you as a warmer human being and, consequently, to be more interested in socially engaging with you and continuing to get to know you to build a relationship with you."

The study: Seventy university students were asked to provide mentoring advice to a high school student by reading and commenting on that student's university admissions essay. Later, half the mentors received a handwritten note supposedly from their mentee that included the following expression of gratitude: "Thank you SO much for all the time and effort you put into doing that for me!"

The results: The undergraduates who were thanked were far more likely to want to continue their relationship with their mentee than those who were not thanked. In addition, the grateful mentees were rated as having significantly warmer personalities.

The takeaway: Saying thank you--that is, expressing your gratitude--not only helps us develop new relationships, but also helps build up existing relationships.

The study findings were published in the journal Emotion.

So please remember that as recipient's of others generosity it is important to also thank them for their belief in what you do as a community(Rotary) and as you as a person.

See you Thursday morning

Yours in Service 
Rick Zayaitz