In North America, we have a great tradition of Thanksgiving. We gather with friends and family, we eat great food (usually too much of it), and give our thanks for the wonderful year we’ve had.

Giving thanks is much more than another side dish to be spooned out like the green bean casserole or sweet potatoes. It’s important to remember to give thanks all year long instead of as just a part of the Thanksgiving Day tradition.

We know the Law of Attraction responds to vibration. When you feel thankful, you’re sending out a vibration of appreciation and of gratitude. This means that you’re then in alignment with things and people that match this vibration, so you will receive it in return.

It stands to reason then that for reasons that serve you, it’s in your best interest to give thanks because it literally sets you up to receive more to be thankful for. That isn’t the only reason to express your gratitude, however.

Sometimes you feel thankful because of something someone has done for you, said to you, or perhaps given to you.

Gratitude in this instance is a feeling created by recognizing that you’re receiving the love and affirmations of another, even if it was a simple smile from a stranger.

When you let others know that you appreciate that energy, you’re in fact returning the energy and allowing it to grow. It allows everyone involved to feel good.

It seems that giving thanks doesn’t come naturally. You have to be taught to say please and thank you. It is important to teach your children to give thanks. This can be in the form of nightly prayers, a gratitude journal, and yes, even writing thank you notes when you’re given a gift.

When you teach your kids to say thank you, it’s important that you remind them that the energy behind the words is what is important. At first, your kids won’t want to write a thank you note for the present from Aunt Minnie, especially if it was something they didn’t really want. Even so, writing the note is a good exercise.

You can help your kids actually want to write a thank you note when you place the emphasis on the thoughts and feelings rather than the actually words. Have your son or daughter check in with their Internal Guidance System (IGS) and see how it feels to give a gift to a friend and not even know if the gift was received.

Then have them imagine how it feels to receive a note from someone else, thanking them for their own kindness. Which way feels better? What does that realization direct them to do when they, in turn, receive a gift?

Frequently, you may hesitate to express your gratitude because you might be unsure about what to say. Your words do not have to be flowery or read like a greeting card. The best thing to do is to check with your IGS to help guide you. A simple heartfelt thank you is often all it takes.

By teaching your kids how to express their gratitude when they’re young, you’re giving them a skill that will pay off in the future. Whether those skills will be used to say thanks for a generous college scholarship, a desired internship or interview, or to clients for their successful business, your son or daughter will stand out because they were able to put their gratitude into words.

Please feel free to comment.

© 2014.  Sharon Ballantine.  All Rights Reserved.