A Simple Expression of Appreciation

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

The key book which has guided my life in publishing has been the Bible. For many years, I've read a different version of the Bible from cover to cover each year. Reading the Scriptures is a key part of the beginning of each day.  I have been reading in The Passion Translation (Broadstreet). If you don't know about the Passion Translation, I encourage you to get a copy and read it. From my experience, often reading in a new translation will give you fresh insights and perspective. One of the final letters the Apostle Paul wrote was his second letter to Timothy. In 2 Timothy 3:1–5,  he includes a series of godless acts that will happen during the Last Days. tucked into some terrible things is a single word: ungrateful. (2 Timothy 3:1-5).

The opposite of ungrateful is gratitude. As a writer, how do you incorporate gratitude into your daily life?

How you express gratitude doesn't have to be complicated. A simple expression of appreciation can go a long way. My first book, When I Grow Up, I Can Go Anywhere for Jesus, was published in 1992. When the book first came out, I went to the booksellers convention and met with best-selling author Richard J. Foster. His classic book, Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home had just released. I showed Richard my little 32–page book and gave him a copy. He celebrated with me and prayed with me about the book. Several weeks later, I got a surprise in the mail: a handwritten thank you note from Richard Foster. He was letting me know how much he appreciated the copy of my book.

This handwritten note from a bestselling author was amazing to me—and a practical example of something I've done now for years. I've been writing and reviewing books for many years—in print magazines and online. Almost every day authors and publishers will send me physical books. I appreciate it but to be honest, the volume is way more than anyone could read—even if that is all I did. I read these books in my free time and for fun then write my reviews and post them on Amazon, Goodreads and my social media.

If you can't read every book that comes into your mail box, what can you do? I can take a few minutes and handwrite a note to that author expressing my appreciation for their efforts. I have a box of thank you notes and pull one out, address the envelope and write my note often on the same day I get the book. It is a practice of appreciation that I've done for years—and something anyone can do.

What practices of appreciation do you incorporate into your daily life? Let me know in the comments below.

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The Beauty of Gratitude

We live in a thankless world. It's rare to receive a handwritten Thank You note for any act of kindness. It's almost a lost practice to send little notes of appreciation.

Repeatedly I've seen the beauty of gratitude as I express it for different actions. For example, recently I received a book in the mail from an author. He was excited about the contents and sent it to me. I often write about books and review books so I can appreciate the effort from this writer to send it to me and get it into my hands. Unfortunately from my years in publishing, at a glance, I could tell this product was homemade and lacking in a number of areas. I'll not be writing about this book nor reading it. What could I do to encourage this author? I decided that I could express my appreciation to this author and wish him all the best with the book.

I pulled out a Thank You note and expressed my appreciation and put it into today's mail.

Because I've been writing about books for years, authors will often send me their books. I appreciate the gesture but often it is a challenge to find any time to read these books. Even writing a short note of appreciation takes time but it is time well-spent in my view.

I love the season of Thanksgiving because it renews our focus on gratitude. Are you looking for a way to touch people, build relationships and get noticed? A simple step is to develop an attitude of gratitude. As you increase your focus on thankfulness and gratitude, it will lift your spirits and help you become a positive influence to the people in your life. I'm committed to being grateful much more than during this season. It's a pattern I want to carry out every day. How about you?