Being thankful, more than saying "Thank you"
It’s easy to say thank you. The words simply slip off the tongue without much effort or thinking perhaps. But being thankful, living thankfulness, that’s a whole different matter.
Most of us are indeed grateful when we have moments which make us happy or comfortable. However, I know I'm guilty of not always being thankful about the simple, often-overlooked things we rely on every single day: the fact that we woke up this morning, that our legs carried us where we needed to go, that our eyes allowed us to read these words. These aren’t small things. They’re the foundation of our daily lives. And yet, how often do we pause to notice them?
The truth is, we are very good at taking. We take education, jobs, food on the table, transport to get us where we want to be. We take opportunities, we take support, we take community. But how often do we stop and ask: What am I giving back?
Beyond words
Gratitude isn’t about the occasional “thank you.” It’s about how we use (and don't use) what we’ve been given to demonstrate this gratitude.
Am I using my voice to gossip, lie and criticise? Or to encourage and uplift?
Am I using my time in ways that benefit others? Or only for myself?
Am I hoarding my talents and experiences? Or am I using them to make life easier for someone else?
The gifts we carry, be they skills, experiences, networks, passions, weren’t given to us to sit idle. They’re meant to be put into play. Gratitude shows up when we apply them to something bigger than ourselves.
Gratitude, at its best, is active. It looks like:
Sharing your knowledge with someone new to your field.
Encouraging young people to believe in their ability to lead.
Being present for your family and community.
Choosing kindness when indifference would be easier.
Using your skills in service of something beyond a payslip.
It doesn’t mean being perfect, but it does mean being intentional.
The story of the bill that never came
I once came across a story about an elderly man who had to undergo surgery because he couldn’t urinate. After the operation, he received the hospital bill and broke down in tears. The doctor, worried about the cost, told him they could work something out. But the man replied: “I'm not crying because of the money. I am crying because for 70 years of my life, every day, I was able to go to the toilet… and I never once received a bill for this service.”
That story stuck with me. It was such a simple but powerful reminder: the everyday things we take for granted are often the most priceless. And our way of “paying the bill” isn’t through money, it’s through gratitude in action.
A challenge (or two)
I have two challenges for you (and myself). Firstly, the next time you catch yourself saying “thank you,” pause and ask:
what does being thankful look like here? Maybe it’s mentoring someone, maybe it’s volunteering, maybe it’s returning a favour without anyone knowing it was you.
Secondly, every day, pick one thing we often take for granted: our eyes, ears, hands, breath, the sun, the rain. And ask ourselves:
how can I use these blessings, these gifts in ways that reflect my gratitude? Maybe it's using more kind and considered words, maybe it's eating more healthily or doing more exercise, maybe it's being less wasteful.
If we did more of this, we would change not just our own perspective but the world around us. Because when "thank you" moves off the tongue and into our actions, it becomes the way we show up. And that rubs off on others.
