The Power of Saying Thanks

Posted on 01/27/2015 by Rivkah Lambert Adler in Beliefs and Practices

Last year, I took on the 100 Happy Days challenge. The idea is to share a picture on social media of something that makes you happy – for 100 consecutive days. Organizers say that participants reported that they:

Started noticing what makes them happy every day
Were in a better mood every day
Started receiving more compliments from other people
Realized how lucky they are to have the life they have
Became more optimistic

There is deep Jewish wisdom in the 100 Happy Days challenge. In traditional Jewish practice, some people strive to make 100 blessings a day. It’s a tough goal for most people, with the exception of those who pray the three traditional prayer services each day. The prayers are packed with blessings which fulfill a large percentage of the daily quota.

But anyone can say thank you to God 100 times a day.

Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, also known as the Rambam, the Medieval Jewish Torah scholar and philosopher, taught that gratitude is the primary means of expressing a belief in God. How so? Because when I express gratitude, I recognize that God is constantly bestowing good on me.

Do you think it is difficult to find 100 things to thank God for each day? Let me show you how easy it can be. Imagine you are getting ready for bed. Here are 20 things to say thank you for.

Thank you God for a toothbrush.
Thank you God for toothpaste.
Thank you God for running water.
Thank you God for no plumbing emergency.
Thank you God for teeth to brush.
Thank you God for arms and hands that coordinate to brush my teeth.
Thank you God for a bed.
Thank you God for a private room.
Thank you God for a home.
Thank you God for clean sheets.
Thank you God for a pillow.
Thank you God for the ability walk to the bed.
Thank you God that I can get in and out of bed unassisted.
Thank you God for a mirror.
Thank you God that I can stand in front of the mirror.
Thank you God that my eyes work well enough to see myself in the mirror.
Thank you God for a hairbrush.
Thank you God for hair to brush.
Thank you God for pajamas to put on.
Thank you God for a washing machine to clean my pajamas when they get soiled.

All over the world, there are people who do not have any of these things. And you have all of them! Is this not a reason to say thank you?

According to Rabbi Shalom Arush who wrote The Garden of Gratitude, “The root of a person’s chronic crying, sadness, depression, despair and dissatisfaction is his lack of gratitude. He doesn’t realize that he should be grateful for all the good that Hashem [God] does for him and thank Hashem profusely all the time. Such people focus on the empty half of the cup – what they lack. As such, they are seldom satisfied.”

A commitment to thanking God 100 times a day refines our character. Even if you don’t hit the goal of saying thank you 100 times every day, just the fact that you are noticing all the kindnesses that God does for you all day long is going to help you become a happier, more appreciative person.

There is nothing too small for which to say thank you to God. The power of saying thanks is that it elevates your level of happiness and your connection to the spiritual dimension of life. It’s a profound spiritual practice that you can start right at this very moment.