1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:09,160 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning, 2 00:00:10,520 --> 00:00:16,320 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:16,320 --> 00:00:20,880 Speaker 1: tip is that while being frugal is generally a virtue, 4 00:00:21,040 --> 00:00:25,640 Speaker 1: there is no reason to be frugal with thanks when 5 00:00:25,680 --> 00:00:32,160 Speaker 1: someone does something you appreciate. Thanking freely and enthusiastically has 6 00:00:32,280 --> 00:00:37,800 Speaker 1: basically no downside, and it generates a lot of goodwill. 7 00:00:39,840 --> 00:00:43,520 Speaker 1: This episode is airing at the beginning of November, which 8 00:00:43,560 --> 00:00:48,559 Speaker 1: is a month often associated with Thanksgiving. Those of us 9 00:00:48,560 --> 00:00:50,800 Speaker 1: here in the United States spend a day late in 10 00:00:50,840 --> 00:00:57,200 Speaker 1: the month stuffing ourselves with turkey and generally expressing gratitude. 11 00:00:57,400 --> 00:01:00,320 Speaker 1: It is a lovely idea, but there is there's no 12 00:01:00,520 --> 00:01:05,560 Speaker 1: need to limit this feeling to a single Thursday. Why 13 00:01:05,600 --> 00:01:10,479 Speaker 1: not aim this whole month to give thanks wherever thanks 14 00:01:10,560 --> 00:01:15,240 Speaker 1: is do in a single day. So many people contribute 15 00:01:15,280 --> 00:01:19,559 Speaker 1: to helping our lives go smoothly. Maybe your spouse wakes 16 00:01:19,600 --> 00:01:21,759 Speaker 1: you up when here she realizes that you slept through 17 00:01:21,760 --> 00:01:25,800 Speaker 1: your alarm. Maybe your kid remembers their instrument without your 18 00:01:25,800 --> 00:01:29,840 Speaker 1: reminding them. The bus driver shows up right on schedule. 19 00:01:30,959 --> 00:01:34,039 Speaker 1: The security officer at work recognizes you and buzzes you 20 00:01:34,080 --> 00:01:37,560 Speaker 1: into your building. A colleague spot's an issue in your 21 00:01:37,560 --> 00:01:42,399 Speaker 1: presentation before you give it. A neighbor shows up on 22 00:01:42,440 --> 00:01:46,160 Speaker 1: your doorstep with a package that was misdelivered. The list 23 00:01:46,319 --> 00:01:50,120 Speaker 1: goes on. When the people in your life do things 24 00:01:50,120 --> 00:01:52,480 Speaker 1: that make your life better, it is simply good manners 25 00:01:52,520 --> 00:01:56,680 Speaker 1: to notice and say thank you. And if you're going 26 00:01:56,680 --> 00:01:59,920 Speaker 1: to say a simple thanks, it turns out that an 27 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:04,880 Speaker 1: enthusiastic one doesn't take much more effort. So if a 28 00:02:04,960 --> 00:02:07,920 Speaker 1: child makes a bed without prompting, you can exclaim, I 29 00:02:08,080 --> 00:02:11,240 Speaker 1: love how you made your bed. Thank you. Our house 30 00:02:11,240 --> 00:02:14,200 Speaker 1: looks so tidy. I know you'll feel relaxed going back 31 00:02:14,200 --> 00:02:17,680 Speaker 1: to your room tonight. When the security guard lets you in, 32 00:02:17,720 --> 00:02:20,440 Speaker 1: you can say thanks, Norm, have a great day, or 33 00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:22,679 Speaker 1: if he isn't swamped with letting everyone else into the 34 00:02:22,680 --> 00:02:24,799 Speaker 1: building at the same time, you can pause and chat 35 00:02:24,840 --> 00:02:29,000 Speaker 1: a little more. When your colleague brings up a potential problem, 36 00:02:29,040 --> 00:02:33,080 Speaker 1: you can express gratitude, Phew, good catch. I am so 37 00:02:33,240 --> 00:02:37,000 Speaker 1: glad you thought through the process and spotted this. Thank you, 38 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:40,960 Speaker 1: you saved me a lot of trouble. I think sometimes 39 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:43,040 Speaker 1: people feel like they are doing what they're supposed to 40 00:02:43,080 --> 00:02:45,480 Speaker 1: do and other people should thus do what they are 41 00:02:45,520 --> 00:02:49,440 Speaker 1: supposed to do, without expecting anyone to clap and cheer 42 00:02:49,520 --> 00:02:56,000 Speaker 1: over meeting minimum expectations. And you know what, that's probably true, 43 00:02:56,160 --> 00:03:00,680 Speaker 1: But so what. The security guard is obvious going to 44 00:03:00,760 --> 00:03:04,520 Speaker 1: do his job whether you thank him or not, but 45 00:03:05,600 --> 00:03:09,000 Speaker 1: he will probably feel happier about doing his job when 46 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:12,200 Speaker 1: he is thanked. And your colleague who is thanked for 47 00:03:12,280 --> 00:03:15,840 Speaker 1: catching your error will feel friendlier towards you in general, 48 00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:20,400 Speaker 1: and much more inclined to share other information as well. 49 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:24,880 Speaker 1: I like to think of expressing gratitude as a skill. 50 00:03:26,160 --> 00:03:30,600 Speaker 1: There's the basic level of simply saying thanks, but when 51 00:03:30,600 --> 00:03:32,520 Speaker 1: we can work at it a little bit more and 52 00:03:33,120 --> 00:03:36,960 Speaker 1: view this practice as deserving of our mental energy, we 53 00:03:37,040 --> 00:03:40,880 Speaker 1: can figure out ways to get more specific, like thanking 54 00:03:40,960 --> 00:03:42,960 Speaker 1: a bagger at the grocery store for putting all your 55 00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:47,160 Speaker 1: frozen items together, or acknowledging the person running the car 56 00:03:47,240 --> 00:03:49,840 Speaker 1: line at your kid's school by saying thank you for 57 00:03:49,960 --> 00:03:53,880 Speaker 1: smiling every morning. I really appreciate your helping the kids 58 00:03:53,880 --> 00:03:58,520 Speaker 1: start their day in better moods. The specifics show that 59 00:03:58,760 --> 00:04:04,200 Speaker 1: you understand that the person is doing something that matters. 60 00:04:05,400 --> 00:04:07,800 Speaker 1: So this month, think about how you might take your 61 00:04:07,840 --> 00:04:12,120 Speaker 1: gratitude game up a notch. There is no point in 62 00:04:12,200 --> 00:04:16,520 Speaker 1: being stingy with thanks. People aren't going to do a 63 00:04:16,520 --> 00:04:20,240 Speaker 1: better job if you don't thank them, but they might 64 00:04:20,279 --> 00:04:22,599 Speaker 1: be happier about their jobs when you do thank them. 65 00:04:23,920 --> 00:04:28,599 Speaker 1: Daily life and work can be hard and tiring. Everyone 66 00:04:28,720 --> 00:04:33,680 Speaker 1: likes to be appreciated and you have the ability to 67 00:04:33,760 --> 00:04:39,960 Speaker 1: make that happen in the meantime. This is Laura. Thanks 68 00:04:39,960 --> 00:04:44,479 Speaker 1: for listening, and here's to making the most of our time. 69 00:04:50,960 --> 00:04:55,360 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast. If you've got questions, ideas, 70 00:04:55,520 --> 00:04:58,960 Speaker 1: or feedback, you can reach me at Laura at Laura 71 00:04:59,040 --> 00:05:08,320 Speaker 1: vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartMedia. 72 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:12,960 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, please visit the iHeartRadio app, 73 00:05:13,240 --> 00:05:16,480 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.