Saying “Thank You” to Yourself – A Powerful Practice

When someone compliments us or shows us a gesture of gratitude, we’re quick to show our appreciation and thanks. Sometimes, we even go the extra mile to show this person how thankful we are.

But let me ask you, how often have you shown appreciation for yourself? How many times have you thanked yourself, patted yourself on the back, and given yourself credit? Honestly, I can’t recall one moment recently where I really dug deep and appreciated what I’ve done along the way in my own journey.

I think a “thank you” to ourselves is way overdue. So write a letter to yourself and acknowledge how incredible you are. I’m sharing mine to hopefully inspire and motivate you to write your own.

“It has not been an easy year, but we’ve made it through. As we’ve entered the new year, I do not want our efforts in the past year to go in vain. We’ve worked so hard to become better, with the family, at work, and maintaining relationships, and I’m proud of what we have achieved.

 Thank you, Self, for your strength. Whenever I feel disheartened or disappointed in life, you remain a pillar of strength I can rely on. Thank you for your courage and fortitude to brave this scary world. Thank you, Self, for your persistence and resilience. I know there were moments when I wanted to throw both hands in the air and just give up. Yet, you’ve always reminded me of the reasons why I do what I do.

Thank you for always being your authentic self. In this digital age, realness is hard to come by and yet, you’ve helped me stay grounded and stick to my roots … never caving into the pressure of perfection. Thank you, Self, for your integrity. We’ve always been honest and stuck to our principles.

Thank you for your passion, dedication, and commitment. Not everyone will see or appreciate it, but know that I do. These qualities have pushed me to grow and always yearn for self-improvement.

Thank you for always making me see the brighter side of things. I’ve learned to cope with failure, disappointments, and frustrations, knowing I can find a silver lining in these situations. This has helped me navigate through life’s uncertainty with an acceptance that I cannot control everything. Life happens as it is, and that’s okay.

More importantly, thank you, Self, for loving me when no one does. There are days when I feel alone, unloved, and unworthy. Yet, deep inside me I know your love will power me through whatever I’m going through. Forgive me if I do not love you back often. I’m a work in progress but I find comfort in knowing that you’ll always have my back.”

Writing that letter felt exhilarating! I was finally able to tell myself what I’d always wanted to say. I mean, I know myself. You know yourself. But it’s different to put your thoughts into words and acknowledge what’s in your head. I hope you can write a “thank you” letter to yourself, too — at any time when you need to recalibrate and reset. Sometimes, we look for affirmations and validation elsewhere, when all we wanted to hear was ourselves.

“You, yourself as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” – Buddha

-Azalea

Photo: Cathryn Lavery cathrynlavery via Wikimedia Commons