Thanks…Giving and Receiving

While this is naturally a time for giving thanks, it is also a time to receive it. Here are a few thoughts on giving and receiving thanks.

On Giving Thanks: Not being a “glass is half empty” person and being instead a “glass is more than full and I have extra” person, being grateful for the abundance that I already have is integral to my makeup. However, appreciation for what one has isn’t the same as settling or being complacent; in fact, it encourages us to not settle. When we know what or who makes us thankful, then we know what success looks like; when we know what success looks like, we are motivated to achieve our goals in order to replicate that success. “We move toward and become like that which we think about,” shades of Investment in Excellence brought to you by Lou Tice and the Pacific Institute.

On Receiving Thanks: While being appreciated and recognized is inherently a good thing, some find the recognition difficult to accept. Okay, so some humility is also a good thing, but not receiving thanks well makes the giving of thanks difficult…and well, tedious and uncomfortable. Normally, people giving recognition are putting effort into it, so provided that it is genuine and thoughtful, just say “yes.” Thank them for their thank you if you must, but brace yourself and accept it. Receiving thanks also motivates us to achieve our goals, since most of us want to replicate what if feels like to be appreciated – another form of success to be repeated.

Thankfully, in our Finance and Administrative Services division, we incorporate opportunities to recognize each other and thank each other into our daily work lives. You can see this demonstrated in the “Thank You Notes” section of our Balanced Scorecard Connect Newsletter http://www.csusm.edu/bsc/BSCCONNECT.htm as well as our various awards and events (for which we are nearly famous). Because we have a culture of recognizing others, we also have a culture of being recognized – and that’s a good thing.

So, be grateful, be thankful, accept the recognition, and remember this week and every week, it is better to give…and to receive…thanks.