Being Grateful For Every Thank You

It occurred to me recently, while I was out driving in the Spanish countryside where I now live, that most of the local people appear to be really happy and content. They often talk of things they are grateful for, and these are rarely their material belongings. Then I had a big ‘aha’ moment!

As a child I grew up in various Spanish speaking places. I learned, when someone thanks you for something, the appropriate response is to say, “De nada!” In other words, ‘it’s nothing,’ or ‘don’t mention it.’

On my return to Spain a few years ago, I discovered a different response to a thank you. These days a gracias (thank you) is responded to with gracias a ti (thanks to you). Also what I noticed is, when I got thanked in return, it felt really good, as if good energy was being directed my way.

I met one of my Spanish friends for coffee today. We both enjoy our chats about all things spiritual. She is studying metaphysics in various disciplines, and I have read for her, as well as her mom. I brought up this topic about how ‘thank you’ is replied to differently, compared to when I first started learning Spanish many years ago. “It is not entirely the case,” she responded. “There are still those who say de nada.”

We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures ~ Thorton Wilder

Then she told me about a concept she’d learned during her esoteric studies. She learned from her spiritual master that it is important never to negate the gesture when somebody thanks you. In other words, it is actually not good to say, “Oh, it’s nothing.” We especially tend to do this when someone compliments us on something we’ve done for them, by saying something like, “Oh, it’s no bother,” or perhaps, “Not at all, don’t mention it.”

We also have a tendency to negate compliments others give us. Instead of just saying thank you, many of us tend to give some sort of negative response, implying that we don’t feel the same way about our own abilities, talents, physical appearance or even our fashion sense.

My friend feels gratitude is one of the most powerful energies in our life, and she believes that it opens up doors to higher levels of consciousness. Therefore, we should express gratitude at every opportunity, by blessing and accepting positive acknowledgments from others.

If we magnified blessings as much as we magnify disappointments, we would all be much happier ~ John Wooden

She added something else, which hadn’t occurred to me, and that was that we also bring more positive consequences to the other person with our positive receiving of a gesture or compliment. “Remember, there is a Divine Force at play here and we are actually giving a blessing when we respond with a positive,” she said. I guess one can think of this action as a form of ‘paying it forward’…like placing one mirror in front of another, causing it to be reflected infinitely.