What's the Magic Word?

Gracias, merci, danke, toda, arigato, xie-xie, takk, spasibo, obrigado, grazie, cheers, thanks awfully, old boy.

Regardless of how you choose to say it, expressing your appreciation out loud is not only good for the person you’re saying it to, but for you as well. That’s right—for you. Following two years of scientific research for her book, Thank You Power, Emmy-award winning journalist Deborah Norville has verified a connection between showing thanks and the ability to find inner strength and happiness. Expressing thank you gets you in the gratitude mood, so to speak. It encourages you to go out of your way to help others.

So how about on the receiving end? Of course, saying thank you makes them feel good. And, in true “pay it forward” fashion, this small kindness spreads quickly and brings smiles to faces along the way. Saying thank you is so contagious, it’s like starting one giant, smiling thank-you chain…

And she thanked two friends… and so on… and so on… and so on…