Fiend at Court Unplugged
Heading into New Year’s Eve in 2021, I shared twelve “Gifts” that people can give to themselves to jumpstart their tennis life. Each item on that list is essentially a tennis related life hack shamelessly adapted from a cybersecurity career development webinar that I gave back in 2019. I am taking a more in depth look at each one of those items first Friday of each month this year. In February we are focusing on the “Gift” of Gratitude.
Write Thank You Notes (The Gift of Gratitude)
There is probably someone in life who has helped you in tennis. Writing a thank you note is a great way to tell people how much you appreciate what they have done for you. A thank you note provides positive reinforcement to the recipient that their tennis promoting and support activities are making a difference. That increases the odds that they will continue to engage in those activities for you or someone else.
Additionally, writing a thank you note gives you a moment to reflect with a heart of gratitude. It builds relationships and also helps you recognize how you can similarly help and support others around you. Win-Win.
Excerpt from “12 “Gifts” To Improve Your Tennis Life (Part 1)“
Althea Gibson included the full text of two thank you notes she received in her autobiography “I Always Wanted To Be Somebody.” The notes were from two of the US embassies in countries that she had visited during a state department goodwill tour. While conveying gratitude to Althea, those notes influenced her perception of her place on the world stage and in history.
Our personal communication is dominated by email, texts, and social media. If you really want to kick up you appreciation a notch, then a hand written note sent through postal mail is a nice touch. Emails and texts get deleted and fade from memory. A hand written thank you note might turn into a cherished memento.
I am issuing a challenge to each one of my readers to write a thank you note this month. Since it is also February you might even double it up as a Valentine.
