“When your heart speaks, take good notes.”…Judith Campbell

A few words in ink straight from the heart can say so much and can be treasured for a long time. The importance of writing notes can never really be underplayed.

Even in a family setting where we take each other for granted most of the time and think a brusque “thank you” suffices, a short, handwritten notes makes a world of difference.

As a giver, you know you have done something concrete to express your thoughts. As a receiver, you will be overjoyed to know someone cares so much he or she has gone to the trouble of putting it down in writing. It needs efforts to cultivate this habit but once you do the returns are intangibly immense. Ties strengthen, relationships and bonding grow.

Each human being has an ego and even in cases where he or she renders a selfless service, expecting nothing in written, a brief thank you note gives him or her nice warm glow inside.

It keeps the fires of motivation burning. It is not just appreciation that the written word is capable of. elings come across vividly and have a lasting effect.

One can write a note to say sorry or to express love or just to say “I remember you” or even “I understand and forgive”. It does not have to be simple and minimalist. One can even be creative and write some imaginative notes to impress a family member. For instance: “Flowers can't say what I feel—I love you as I never loved anyone” is one creative way to go beyond a simple “I love you” sentence.

Creating a culture of writing notes in a family early on goes a long way to cementing ties and in family bonding. Notes are not always for grown ups. A mother or father can write a note for their kid, expressing love or appreciation. Children can be taught to write little notes to their siblings and to their friends and even parents. It becomes a habit one can never really outgrow or want to, the results are so good.

Its all About Gratitude ... "Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it." ~William Arthur. Johannes A. Gaertner adds, "To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live gratitude is to touch Heaven."

Poetic Thanks...
He who thanks but with the lips
Thanks but in part;
The full, the true Thanksgiving
Comes from the heart.
~J.A. Shedd

Notes are great memory joggers. Spoken words are soon forgotten. Written notes can be treasured and cherished, read over and over again, keeping the memory fresh. Thoughts are fine. Try writing them down and you will find there are so many words to pick from that it can quite confuse you.

A quote by Gene Fowler comes to mind: “Writing is easy; all you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until the drops of blood form on your forehead.”

In a way the act of writing notes also indirectly helps you to be picky and careful about the choice of words: you do not want words to be misinterpreted.

If you have never done it before, now is as good a time as any to get started. Get a pack of post its, a pen and keep these two handy in different rooms and dash off the note as soon as a thought occurs to you. Why not start off with a note to yourself? That is the springboard to writing notes to your brothers, sisters, wife, mother, father and friends. It may not change life dramatically but there is a decided shift as new perspectives in communications and understanding open up with the simple power of the written word.

It was thought computers would sound the death knell of printed material. To a large extent printed materials have diminished in quantity and supply. Books have turned to e-books and a single tablet, PC or an e-book reader can easily store thousands of books in a small form factor. One can read it anywhere, anytime, even in the dark as e-book readers and tablets are backlit. There is so much of information available on the internet that buying a single book with limited information in it is no longer considered viable.

It is also considered more environment-friendly to use electronic data rather than printed material. Pundits predicted a totally paper-free environment. However, this has not come about. The printed word survives and is going strong. The printed word also encourages children to use their imagination. While reading a child will come across a number of words whose meaning he will not know but reading the passage repeatedly soon gives him a good idea of what it means. He can use his imagination to create pictures in his mind, let his mind form associations and a rich tapestry of thoughts.

Make reading a family habit and encourage children to read books instead of devoting their attention to TV and video games exclusively. The printed word and paper have a tactile feel. They learn to read and learn how stories develop. Simple books with lots of pictures and large text are favorites of toddlers. As they grow, they retain the habit and reading the printed word has its own special joy. Even if we have the latest and the best in electronic devices that will display books on a screen, nothing can match the printed word. Even in a digital age, the printed word survives and will flourish.

When To Write A Thank You Note?

Expressions of thanks are always welcome and appreciated. It can never be wrong to write a thank you note. If you are, however, wondering which situations set an expectation of a written note, you're not alone. Most sources seem to agree on the following ...

Bridal or baby shower gifts or Wedding gifts or Graduation gifts, Anniversary gifts, Gifts received during a hospital stay, Also send a note of thanks to ... A host or hostess that gave a party in your honor or a host or hostess after you were a houseguest or a potential employer after a job interview.