For many of us living in America, this Thursday we will celebrate Thanksgiving.  With the word thanks in the holiday’s name, it’s hard not to take a second or two to consider all of the people and things for which we are grateful.  Whether it is a private moment of contemplation or a group discussion, most people will find the time to consider their gratitude.

However, I have to consider why we don’t do this more often.  Although I try to express my gratitude on a daily basis for things little and big, I know that I often forget to do so.  It is easier to notice the mistakes than to praise the job done correctly.  Why just send an email to a team member when there is a mistake, instead of also sending emails that praise a job well done?  Why not praise a child for remembering to put dishes in the dishwasher instead of complaining that she forgot?

No, I’m not advocating that we ignore errors and only highlight the positive.  However, striving to point out the positive more frequently couldn’t hurt.  So, I will see how I can implement this in both my personal and work lives.  The simple addition of two words, such as “Thank you” and “Nice job” won’t take much time and only a little bit of effort.

This Thursday I certainly will be thinking of all the things for which I’m grateful.  But in addition, I will be making the effort to make days of giving thanks more frequent.  Expressing my gratitude may take only two words but will provide much more value than that.