Are You a Thank You Robot?

What is one of the first things you learn to say as a when you first begin to speak? Thank you. We are trained to say thank you in order to be polite, but why?  Is it to show genuine appreciation, or is it to be socially acceptable?

So much of who we are is programmed and often in ways that do not serve intimacy.

 Any relationship, but especially a one-on-one partnership, requires willingness to delve deeper and deeper into honesty and vulnerability.  To love with more depth, you must mean what you tell your beloved; to mean what you say you must know what you truly feel.

If always saying thank you is more automatic than genuine, your partner will feel that something is missing – even if (s)he is not be able to put his or her finger on it.
Here is a simple but instructive example of how we repeat something over and over again without feeling its power and meaning.

To get more in touch with our feelings of genuine gratitude, you can say a multitude of different things to show appreciation: “I love what you did….  I am so grateful to have you….. I am enjoying that you….”  The possibilities are endless to express the variety of human appreciation. Take it slowly.  See if you can remember alternatives to thank you and experiment.  As you expand your horizons in this simple way of communicating, new doors will open for trust and understanding.

And I thank you for reading this!