
Saying Thanks and Beyond: Is Saying Thank You Enough? by Ralph Mosgrove is a timely little reminder that what we do and say can have influence far beyond ourselves. As the author compares small, random acts of kindness to the ripples of a pond, he reminds us that our actions do have consequences that ripple out across the Universe. In today’s hectic, me-centred world, it is sometimes easy to forget even the common courtesies that we were taught as children… the pleases and the thank you’s. But even more than that, it is the little things we do that can make an enormous difference, over time. The smile at a stranger, holding a door open for a person with a disability or with arms full of packages, the allowing someone in a hurry to push in front of us, without getting annoyed; all of these minor acts accumulate and are placed in the bank of “paying it forward”, if you like.
Author Ralph Mosgrove, in Saying Thanks and Beyond: Is Saying Thank You Enough? touches a slightly raw nerve in most readers, I am sure, as it asks them to look inward at themselves and perhaps ask the question; what am I doing to help my fellow man/woman? It doesn’t take much and for me, that was the success of this book. The author wasn’t asking us to make massive changes in the way we deal with and interact with others. The suggestions he makes are simple and easily put in place. What is self-evident but often overlooked is the benefit, to the giver, of these little, random, acts of kindness. As well as making us feel better about ourselves for doing something nice, the flow-on effect is what really matters. As each person is made to feel better, they also pass on that good feeling and your act of kindness is multiplied. It’s well worth reminding ourselves that this ripple effect works equally as effectively when we pass on negative, grumpy, or even angry feelings toward others. As a reminder of the importance of pleasantness and civility in our currently fractured environment, this book is a tiny, little gem – one to be passed on from one to another.
