Friday, November 26, 2010

Thanksgiving Leftovers ...


Most of us who celebrate a traditional turkey with all the fixings Thanksgiving very frequently don’t consume all of the food prepared. I love leftovers! I would make extra just so I could enjoy the turkey and cranberries in sandwiches, in Italian style spinach and turkey soup, turkey enchiladas, whatever delicious new way I could to enjoy the abundance.

It strikes me that we often have another leftover that seems to get put aside until we whip it up again next Thanksgiving. It’s such a shame we don’t serve it up more often; it has zero calories. It often warms up the ones to whom we serve it, and it takes so little effort.

No, I’m not referring to pumpkin pie—I did read a report that suggested the aroma of pumpkin pie has an aphrodisiac affect on men, good to keep in mind—but I refer to the act of thanking others. Now that I think about it, men’s performance might also be enhanced by regular backrubs or verbal appreciation for taking out the trash and the like.

Oops, off on a tangent.

There are so many expressions of thanks we can share with all sorts of people we come in contact in our daily life. I know we all are so rushed with our busy schedules and have a lot to deal with just to keep moving forward.

But,when someone makes the time, even a total stranger, to thank me for something, I experience a softening reaction inside. There’s an opening of my heart. Don’t you react this way, too?

This works even if the expression is simply a rote social convention. When I was in France a couple of years ago, I remember how nice it was to be greeted when I entered a little shop, “Bonjour, Madame.” And when I would leave, inevitably I would be told, “Au revoir, Madame” or “Merci, Madame.” It was a social convention, but it warmed me nonetheless. It was someone telling me they were aware of my presence. I was an appreciated potential customer. It even works when I overhear someone thanking someone else!

Put that special ingredient of yourself into your expression of gratitude. One of the most positive, proactive impacts we can make every day throughout the year, with negligible effort, is to say, “Thank you.” It makes you, as well as the intended, better for it.

People may tire after a week or so of leftover turkey, but they seldom tire of being genuinely appreciated every day of the year.
Thanks y'all!
How does the photo relate to the topic? It doesn't have anything to do with it, well, maybe the autumn leaves, maybe just needed a visual filler. Who cares! To see more photographs: www.kweststudio8.etsy.com

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