The End Is Near...

*hanging head in shame*
So, it's been awhile since I've written. Somehow, this blog got put not only on the back burner, but I don't even think the stove top was on.  But here I am, ready with an entire MONTH'S worth of thank-you related wisdom to share. 
First of all, let's start with the fact that the end of this project is rapidly approaching.  April 13th, to be exact.  Some of you left brained folks might be wondering what my stats are.  "How many thank-you's has she cranked out?  Did she hit everyone on that list of hers?  Did she do MORE than 100 thank-you's in 100 days?"  The answer is really going to irritate some of you...here it comes... I have no clue.  I couldn't even guess how many thank you's I've doled out in the (almost) 100 days it's been.  Being somewhat of a left-brainer myself, this actually irritates me a little, too (but I'm trying to get over it).  Why didn't I simply keep track?  With a project like this, wouldn't it have been awesome to share my "results" and maybe throw in a bar graph for good measure? 

Originally, that was the direction I was headed.  I kept track of who I had thanked, what I thanked them for, what my "count" was, etc.  Then one day, I made a realization:  on April 14th, I probably should still try to thank someone.  And probably on April 15th, 16th, 17th...you get the idea.  Point being, this project may be ending, but expressing gratitude is something that should never end.  That's when I decided to stop being a person who has the goal of thanking someone every day for 100 days and start being a person who expresses gratitude freely, without having an "ulterior motive."  So I quit.  I didn't quit thanking, I quit keeping track.  It's kind of like someone who is trying to quit smoking.  Ask them how many days it's been since their last cigarette and most of them will be able to tell you (some even down to the minute).  But until they stop identifying themselves as a "smoker trying to quit" and instead as a "non-smoker," they will not have as much success. 

OK, so maybe it's not like trying to quit smoking at all...but I hope you see my point.  If you're out of the habit of thanking people, setting a goal can be a good thing.  However, at some point, it becomes time to let it become your way of life and a part of who you are - not just a task you are trying to accomplish.  I'm still writing my thank-you's and I will continue to do so, perhaps forever. I hope to eventually write over a thousand - not because it's cool to be able to say that (even though it kind of is), but because I know that with each thank you I am putting more "good" out into the world.  And that's always a good thing.