A Simple Thank You

A few months ago, I received a LinkedIn message from a former colleague, Liz, whom I had not spoken with in over seven years. 

With her permission, I’m highlighting portions of her message. “I want to share something and say thank you. I received an email of gratitude and appreciation from my first employee, Trina, and it made me think of the mentors in my life who have helped me to become the leader I am today. Your willingness to invest in leadership training for me was so invaluable. I could not have run a company with an amazing staff of 8 on my own without that training. Too often, we take these relationships for granted until it is too late to say—thank you.” 

The message continues by sharing the loss of a client and dear friend who passed away unexpectedly had prompted Trina to send Liz an email, which in turn, inspired Liz to thank me. 

When I read Liz’s message, you could only imagine my surprise and delight! I must admit, I read it several times because it touched my heart and brought back memories of when we worked together.

As her boss, we worked very closely. Not only was it my goal to support Liz in her daily work, but also in her future dreams. 

Liz’s outreach has caused me to reflect on who knowingly or unknowingly changed my life.

Who took the time to listen, guide, invest, encourage me, and create new opportunities that actualized pathways for greater opportunities? Did they know the incredible—but not necessarily visible—impact they’ve had on my life? 

Here’s one of the best parts, after receiving Liz’s message, in early November, we caught up over lunch, where we laughed and reminisced. This is what I learned. Liz is leading a team of eight people and built her own company from the ground up and is utilizing her talents to support over 40 clients. Way to go, Liz!

Fueled by our conversation and a message that I will treasure forever; I’m making a special effort to thank those who changed my life by continuing the momentum of the gratitude chain, inspired by Trina’s and Liz’s actions. 

Who will you thank?