199: John Kralik - The Power of Gratitude (A Simple Act of Gratitude)

Apr 9, 2017

Join John Kralik, a former attorney and author of 'A Simple Act of Gratitude,' as he shares how writing daily thank-you notes transformed his life. He discusses the profound impact of gratitude on leadership and personal connections. John reveals how a simple note to his son led to a surprising £4,000 repayment and improved relationships with clients and employees. He emphasizes reframing negativity through gratitude, the emotional power of handwritten notes, and encourages listeners to start their gratitude journey by thanking someone special.

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ANECDOTE

Lost In The Mountains, Found Gratitude

John Kralik was at a low point in 2008 and heard an internal voice telling him to be grateful.
He launched a project to write one thank you note per day for a year to see if gratitude could change his life.

ANECDOTE

A Thank-You Note That Paid Back $4,000

John wrote a thank you note to his son for a coffee maker and his son invited him to lunch.
That lunch ended with his son repaying a $4,000 loan, which validated the power of the practice.

ADVICE

Thank People Who Keep You Going

Thank employees and paying clients with handwritten notes to boost morale and cash flow.
Thanking referral sources led to faster payments and more, higher-quality case referrals.

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Episode 199: John Kralik - The Power of Gratitude (A Simple Act of Gratitude)

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The Learning Leader Show

"Until you are grateful for what you have, you won't get what you want."

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

Common themes of leaders who sustain excellence:
- Being grateful for what you have will lead to continued excellence
How his second divorce impacted him: "The second time around, it's your fault"
The power of writing thank you notes -- Learned from his grandfather
"Until you are grateful for what you have, you won't get what you want."
Writing one thank you note per day for one year
"When you're negative, you're angry."
His thank you note to his son prompted his son to take him out to lunch... What happened next? Life changing
"He took out an envelope and paid me back $4,000 that he owed me." -
Writing all of your employees thank you notes: Why you should do this but most don't
"Instead of being mad about my bad clients, I started thanking my good ones." -- The impact this had on John's business was immense
"It turns out the one thing I had to be grateful for was my 8 year old daughter." -- "She loved this awful little apartment we lived in"
"There are so many things to be grateful for"
"When things don't go well, stay positive, stay grateful... Good things WILL happen"
How to shift a negative mindset? -- Use a pen, write it out. Write thank you notes. Use gratitude journals. Trying to find out the person's address without asking them is part of the fun and the surprise.
John has written over 1,100 thank you notes since starting this process
Focus on the people supporting you everyday. Say thank you
How to write a great thank you note? -- John describes:
- 4 Sentences
- Always start with "thank you"
- Recognize the gift (or whatever they've done that's created your gratitude)
- Write one true sentence -- Why you're grateful
- Tell that person what they mean to you
Listen as John reads a thank you note he wrote to his daughter (you might cry).

Continue Learning:

Read: A Simple Act of Gratitude
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