Gratitude is something you deliver as a 'Thank you' [Decoding the word 'Gratitude']

Gratitude and 'thank you'.
I think these two are very close words.

But they are not exactly the same.

Gratitude is a feeling that is born within the heart.
'Thank you' is the word that delivers that feeling to the other person.

Thinking of it that way,
gratitude is 'something you feel', and
'thank you' might be 'something you convey'.

No matter how much you feel grateful in your heart, if it doesn't become words, it may not reach the other person.

That is precisely why I believe it is important to take the feeling of gratitude and
'thank you'
deliver it as words.

Gratitude is proof that your heart has been moved
The word 'gratitude' (kansha) is
made up of two kanji characters:
'kan' (feeling) and 'sha' (thanks).

First, 'kan'
This means that the heart is moved.
When you touch someone's kindness.
When you are saved by unexpected words.
When someone supports you in something you couldn't do on your own.

People don't just understand the event there, they receive it with their heart.

'Ah, I'm grateful.'
'That helped me.'
'I'm happy.'

I think that what is born in the heart like that is gratitude.

And the other one, 'sha'
It is often used to mean 'to apologize', but 'sha' also has the meaning of expressing thanks.

In other words, gratitude is
returning the fact that your heart was moved to the other person as thanks.

Gratitude is important even at the moment it is born in the heart.

But if you end it there, it's a bit of a waste.

Because gratitude begins to have meaning in the other person's heart when it is delivered.

'Thank you' is a word that delivers gratitude
'Thank you' is short.
Only five characters (in Japanese).

But those five characters contain a lot of feelings.

Thank you for helping me.
Thank you for noticing.
Thank you for being by my side.
Thank you for supporting me.

Even without explaining everything at length,
'thank you'
there are things that reach the other person just by saying it.

For example, after team practice ends,
'thanks for the preparation'
is said.

After organizing documents at work,
'that helped, thank you'
is said.

For something done casually at home,
'thank you'
is returned.

Just with that, you can feel that your actions properly reached the other person.
I think 'thank you' is the shortest and warmest word to deliver feelings of gratitude to the other person's heart.

Gratitude is not conveyed just by staying silent
'I am grateful to that person.'
There are times when I think that.

Even so,
'it should be conveyed'
'they should understand even if I don't go out of my way to say it'
'it should be fine because we are close'
there are times when I think like that.

But in reality, there are more things that won't be conveyed unless you put them into words.
Especially in close relationships, gratitude is easily omitted.

Because they are family.
Because we are on the same team.
Because they are a colleague at work.

Because it's something they always do.
That's how, before you know it, you stop saying 'thank you'.

But in reality, it is not a given.

Someone moved for you.
Someone cared for you.
Someone used their time for you.
Someone supported you from behind the scenes.

Whether you can notice each one of those things.
And whether you can put what you noticed into words.

The warmth of human relationships is expressed there.

Gratitude does not reach if you just keep it in your heart.

Turn it into 'thank you', put it into words, and deliver it to the other person.

Only then does gratitude take a visible form.

'Thank you' prevents actions from being taken for granted
When people continue to have things done for them by someone, they get used to it little by little.

Things that you were grateful for at first, before you know it, turn into
'it's natural for them to do it'
'it's the usual thing'
The person who prepares team equipment every time.

The person who moves faster than anyone else at work.
Family members who cook and do laundry at home.
The person who is always tidying up places you don't notice.
Sometimes you only realize the magnitude of such actions after they are gone.

But really, I want to notice before they are gone.
And I want to say,

'thank you always'.
The word 'thank you' has the power to prevent the other person's actions from being taken for granted.
'I notice what you did for me'

'I am properly receiving your actions'
Such a message is contained within those short five characters.
'Thank you' is not just a polite phrase.

It is also a word that conveys that you are properly seeing and noticing the other person's existence and actions.

The 'thank you' you share has the power to spread
It is important to convey 'thank you' directly.

But that is not all.

Feelings of gratitude can have even more meaning when shared.

Write a 'thank you' to someone.
Write about an event where you were supported.
Write gratitude to someone who moved behind the scenes.

Write about realizing that something you thought was a given was not a given.

That is not just a report of events.

Someone who reads that writing might think,
'I should properly convey it too'.
'I was also supported by someone'.

'Thank you is indeed important'.
Sharing about gratitude increases the 'perspective of gratitude' in the readers as well.

Therefore, it is okay to share 'thank you'.
Rather, by sharing it, the gratitude that was inside you reaches someone else's heart.



Gratitude is something born inside. 'Thank you' is something delivered to the outside.



Sharing is something that spreads that 'thank you' a little further.Thinking of it that way, I think there is great meaning in sharing feelings of gratitude as 'thank you'.

'Thank you' warms up relationships
Human relationships change a little with just one word.

It doesn't have to be a difficult word.
'Thank you'
'That helped'
'I was happy'
'I'm glad you're here'

Just by having that one word, what remains in the other person's heart changes.

Whether in a team, at work, or at home, people are not connected only by visible results.

Someone's preparation.
Someone's consideration.
Someone's words.
Someone's small actions.

The place is established by such things piling up.
When you notice that, gratitude is born.

And when you convey that as 'thank you', it reaches the other person's heart.

The person who was told might think,
'I'm glad I did it'
'I was properly seen'
'I want to be of help again'
'Thank you' is a word that is an expression of thanks for past actions, and at the same time, a word that builds future relationships.

It warms up relationships with people a little and connects to the next kindness.

I think that is the power of the word 'thank you'.

In closing
When I try to decode the word 'gratitude', I feel that it is not just mere etiquette.

Gratitude is that your heart was moved thanks to someone.
'Thank you' is the word that delivers that feeling to the other person.

Gratitude is important even if you just think it in your heart.

But if it doesn't reach the other person, that warmth stops only within yourself.

That is precisely why you turn it into 'thank you'.
Put it into words.
Put it into writing.
Share it.
'Thank you' is short.

But that short word contains feelings of valuing the other person.

It doesn't have to be exaggerated.
It doesn't have to be beautiful words.

Just, if your heart was moved, don't let it flow away, put it into words.

'Thank you'

That one word might warm up the other person's day a little.

That sharing might make someone who read it think,
'I'll try conveying it too'.


Gratitude is something born in the heart. 'Thank you' is something that delivers it.
And sharing is something that spreads that 'thank you' to someone's heart.

That is why I want to share feelings of gratitude as 'thank you'.
So that the fact that my heart was moved thanks to someone does not end only within myself.
And to deliver the warmth I received to someone, even if just a little.

Thank you for reading until the end.

In this note, I put into words what I have thought about the growth of people and organizations based on my experience as a soccer and futsal player and university staff member.
I would be happy if this could become a trigger for someone's thinking.