Saying Thank You

I was feeling a bit discouraged after a book signing event, where I sold only six books.  Three of my titles have been sitting in boxes in my storage area for two years, and I was really hoping to reduce my inventory. It dawned on me that the most important thing I wanted, even more than to be able to recoup the finances I had invested, was to get this message out into the Universe. So, being nudged by the Holy Spirit, I did a book give away. I posted a message on my Facebook business page that I was giving away fifty free books. I even paid $26.00 to boost the posting.  I had only half the response. I mailed out those twenty-five, and then a few days later, posted it again, and paid once more for a day of boosting my post. The response was much better. I ended up giving away fifty-eight books in all. It felt good.  It felt right. It was satisfying to know my message was out there. Then a few thank-yous  and Amazon reviews came in and I had the affirmation I desired that this message was a worthy and relevant one.

            So today, I realized that I only received five thank yous in all.  Five out of fifty-eight is less than 9%. I have a choice. I can feel discouraged once again because so few people took the time to even thank me for mailing them a free book. With postage, the mailer and my cost for the book, I was out $8.66 for each book I sent.  In other words, I spent around $500.00 because I believed that this was not only important, but what God wanted me to do.  I can choose to focus on the money I spent with hardly a hint of gratitude, or, I could be blessed that I had the opportunity to give of myself. I didn’t do this for the thank yous. I did it out of obedience and a much greater, a much broader purpose. Yes it would be nice to hear the accolades and just simply to be thanked. But I will focus instead on the potential that my message about victims of bullying finding their voice has reached a much wider audience.  I really did this more for me than for them.

            My lesson is that while I don’t serve to be thanked, I will also remember how it feels to not be thanked, and will make sure I never forget to say those words.  Even God likes to be thanked, after all!