The Power of Thank You

As a child most of us were taught to say ‘Thank You.’ Even as an adult, we find it common courtesy to express gratitude toward others. But did you know that showing gratitude and extending an honest ‘Thank You’ will work wonders in your life.

But it takes effort to have gratitude. The hardest arithmetic to master is to count our blessings.

Here’s an example of what I mean by the power of Thank You….

A Scientific Study of Thank You

University of Miami professor, Michael McCullough & University of California professor, Robert Emmons took three groups of volunteers and randomly assigned them to focus on one of three things for a week: hassles, things for which they were grateful, or ordinary life events. Group A focused on everything that went wrong or was irritating, such as “The battery was dead on my car” or “That jerk cut me off on the highway.” Group B volunteers honed in on situations that they felt enhanced their lives, e.g., “My boyfriend is so kind and caring; I am lucky to have him” or “That was the most spectacular sunrise; I’m glad I got up early.” Group C just remembered events: “I cleaned my closet,” or “I went shoe shopping.” Participants were asked to list five examples in their respective categories and then quantify how they felt about what they’d listed: irritated, ashamed, stressed, joyful, grateful, forgiving, calm, proud, etc. They were also asked specific lifestyle questions: How much time do you spend exercising? What physical symptoms do you experience—are you sick, suffering from allergies? Do you feel particularly energetic? If they had received assistance from someone, participants were asked how they felt about it: grateful? annoyed? embarrassed? appreciated? Finally, they were asked how they felt overall, both as they looked back at the past week and as they looked forward to the week ahead. The people who focused on gratitude were just flat-out happier. They saw their lives in favorable terms. They reported fewer negative physical symptoms, such as headaches or colds, and they were active in ways that were good for them: they spent almost an hour and a half more per week exercising than the people who focused on their hassles. In addition, those who’d been on the receiving end of someone else’s kindness rated higher in joy and happiness than the others. In short, those who focused on what they were grateful for felt a higher level of gratitude. Life just seemed better for them.

What Thank You can do for you

Here’s a laundry list of the study’s conclusions about test subjects who were consciously grateful: 

1. They felt better about their lives as a whole. 
2. They were more optimistic. Better resilience during tough time
3. They were more energetic. 
4. They were more enthusiastic. 
5. They were more determined. 
6. They were more interested. 
7. They were more joyful. 
8. They felt stronger about handling challenges. 
9. They exercised more (nearly an hour and a half more per week!). 
10. They had fewer illnesses. Higher immune response
11. They got more sleep. 
12. They made progress toward important personal goals. 
13. They were more likely to have helped someone else. 
14. They were perceived by others as more generous and helpful. 
15. They were less envious of those with more possessions. 
16. They were less cluttered. 
17. Clearer thinking—more creativity and openness to ideas
18. Less likelihood of being plagued by stress


In one study, waitresses who simply wrote “thank you” on the check before handing it to their customers received on average 11 percent more in tips than those who didn’t.

Jesus and Thank You

This all confirms what we already know from the Bible. An event in Jesus’ life illustrates this. Ten men were cleansed of leprosy. But only one came to tell Jesus ‘Thank You.’ And he was the only one Jesus said was ‘whole.’ You can read this story in Luke 17:11-19.

I discovered in this story four reasons why just saying ‘Thank You‘ is so powerful…

1 – Thank You shifts the focus. Negative to positive. It forces your focus onto what went right today, versus the inevitable things that went wrong. 

2 – Thank You connects to power. It reminds you of the interconnectedness of life. In today’s fast-paced world, one can literally go for days without human contact, thanks to ATM machines, which allow us to avoid the bank teller; Internet grocery shopping, which keeps us from standing in line; Web-based bill paying, which helps us avoid the post office; and e-mail, which allows us to connect with people without actually having to talk to them. But though eliminating the human element may make transactions go more smoothly, it also eliminates the rich, emotional aspect of living. This exercise reminds you how much others add to the quality of your life. 

3 – Thank You focuses on reality. What could have happened to what did happen. It brings you into the present—no more of the woulda-coulda- shoulda looking at life but rather a positive, concrete look at your life as it is. 

4 – Thank You moves think to do.

5 – Thank You makes you better. Most of life is a mental game. When you think you are a loser, you lose. When you think you are a winner, you will eventually win. You become as you think. Human nature tells us that good things should happen to good people. If the good things on your daily list happened to you, it goes without saying that God was good to you.  

I hope you will discover the power of ‘Thank You.’ Have you experienced this life transforming principle? Share your experience.

“One key piece of gratitude is that it basically has the potential to change everything from its ordinary state to being a gift. Once you see it as a gift, it changes the emotional connection to it.”

You can read another article about gratitude: The Attitude of Gratitude.