Expressing gratitude can only make you humbler

It sounds more like a life lesson than anything else.

Well, that’s the way we should function, no? Foremost, we should express our gratitude to the universe and the fates, who have allowed us to experience the beauty of the earthly realm.

This may sound very philosophical and pretentious, I know.

And then? Gratitude towards our companions, who have helped us become the best version of ourselves.

Narrow down to this concept in your life: saying thank you. These two powerful words can make a change in the way we perceive things. I became more familiar with this when I was in Munich.

You can say it’s a cultural difference; I am not shying away from stating that we would use these golden words very sparingly. So precious that we used to keep them preserved to be used only on special occasions. So, it didn’t come naturally, to say ‘thank you’ to a supermarket cashier, who had helped me put my groceries in a bag, hand over the bill & render the exact change. But she did thank me for my visit & purchase at their supermarket. Or thanking the waiter for cleaning up the table and placing the most delicious Schokoladentorte (chocolate pastry) and piping-hot Schwarzkaffee (black coffee). He wouldn’t forget to thank me for my visit.

I started to understand that I was projecting myself as unpolite. And that didn’t go well with me, because I, ironically, was impressed by how German culture had gratitude imbibed in it. Break the barrier! Seemingly strenuous initially, using those two words started coming very naturally to me. And trust me, it felt so nice! Yes, it was yet another step to integrate into their culture, but more than that, it helped me from within. This practice of expressing gratitude for any service anyone does for you, as a part of their profession or simply out of humanity, brings you closer to yourself.

And I observed it not only in Germany but all across Europe. Most of the countries I visited lent me a gratifying experience.

So, remember, though ‘thank you’ is just two words, it carries a whole lot of meaning.

Happy Thanksgiving

Bis Dann

– Hitixa Vora