Thank you for [blank]...

I realized, as I pulled away from the drive-thru window at Tim Horton's this morning, that people do not say 'thank you' or exchange praise nearly enough as they should. In the past few years, I've been trying to extend more positive feedback to the individuals I interact with, whether friends or the person handing me my coffee through the drive-thru window. It's amazing what a change that makes. I remember when I worked in the fast food industry, I could be having a lousy shift but all it would take is one customer who gave a compliment or a 'thank you very much' and suddenly it wasn't all that bad. A little praise goes a long way, whether reflected outward or not.

At work, shooting off e-mails of praise for completing a particularly hard project makes co-workers happy to help again the next time. Acknowledging hard work is probably one of the best things a supervisor can do to improve moral in the workplace. A raise, as wonderful as that is, often fades from memory within a few weeks. Praise for exceptional work lasts a lot longer and makes people actually want to be part of the team and do well. Praise and thank-yous also help get me my coffee at the drive-thru window without the person practically throwing the debit pin pad into my car for me to process.

Today I'm grateful for:

* The fact that tomorrow's Friday.
* Another project almost finished at work.
* Only another month and a half to two months of cold weather until spring/summer.
* The fact that unlucky February is over. Brutal 28 days this year...