How many e-mails or text messages have you sent in the past week? How many handwritten notes of appreciation? More to the point, when was the last time you handwrote anything to anyone? Handwrite a note of gratitude to somebody today...just because. They will appreciate the rarity of it.
TAKE ACTION TODAY

  1. Select the person—a family member, friend, co-worker, or someone you haven't spoken to in a long time—whom you want to thank for what he or she brings to your life.
  2. Choose a postcard, letter, or card.
  3. Take a few minutes to write a warm, sincere message that clearly communicates your love and appreciation for that person.
  4. Decide if you want to add any special touches like unique paper, scents, photographs, drawings on the envelope, or a specialty stamp.
  5. Send it today.

FACTS

  • 175% more text messages are sent each month compared to phone calls.
  • 73% of cell phone users say that the cell phone is the most important device in their social life.
  • 66% of U.S. Internet users said email was their preferred channel for written communications between friends.
  • Every week, the average person receives 1.5 personal letters.
  • Feeling appreciated is one of the strongest human desires.
  • There is warmth in a handwritten note—it instantly makes the message more personal, creates a more intimate feeling, and makes the recipient feel more valued.
  • With e-mail, text messaging and instant messaging, a handwritten note is getting rarer and therefore more special.
  • A handwritten note costs less than a dollar to write and mail, and the relational value is priceless.
  • The recipient can keep and reread it forever.
Excerpted from: Every Monday Matters: 52 Ways to Make a Difference by Matthew Emerzian and Kelly Bozza. Copyright © 2008 Every Monday Matters LLC. Excerpted by permission of Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

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