How to Spread Happiness with Gratitude

5a thanks
day
A recipe for happiness.
Reading this book you will see just how easy it is to make another
human being’s day and, in doing so, make your day too.
Brought to you by
“Gratitude is happiness
doubled by wonder.”
Gilbert K. Chesterton
“Feeling gratitude and
not expressing it is like
wrapping a present
and not giving it.”
William Arthur Ward
“Count your life by
smiles, not tears.”
John Lennon

we are redballoon
we believe:
- Everyone deserves to have fun, feel good
and be happy!
- Happiness is a choice, starts with a drop,
becomes a ripple and creates a WAVE.
- Happiness is amplified when it’s shared.
- We are passionate about giving people more
good times.
- We are in the business of fun!
- We have started a HAPPINESS REVOLUTION…
one amazing experience at a time.
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“One by one;
gift by gift; thanks
by thanks; we can all make
a difference to relationships
and the way people feel.”
preface
It is now more than ten years since I sat in the front room of my house
waiting for a customer to arrive at my brand new business…I was
excited and nervous, full of vision and possibility.
That day, I wasn’t aware that RedBalloon was starting a happiness
revolution, one amazing experience at a time. On our journey serving
close to two million customers in Australia and New Zealand, I have
been fortunate to see inside other businesses, but more importantly,
inside other people’s lives… particularly around very personal
occasions such as births, marriages, anniversaries and celebrations. I
have witnessed the rawness of emotion, pure joy and the simplicity of
happiness.
On my road of discovery I was surprised to learn that Australia does
not rank highly on the Happy Planet Index. With this small book I hope
to make a contribution to our nation’s happiness.
One by one; gift by gift; thanks by thanks; we can all make a difference
to relationships and the way people feel. Happiness is important to all
of us, and we are all responsible for how we feel.
Over a number of years, via my blog, I have been sharing my findings
and musings on how gratitude impacts upon happiness and it is
now my privilege to be able to combine and organise them into one
reference point.
Within these pages you’ll discover stories and simple insights into how
easy it is to make another human being’s day by simply saying thank
you – and in so doing, contribute to happiness.
Thank You.
Naomi Simson
Founding Director, redballoon.com.au
National Industry Winner, Ernst & Young Entrpreneur of the Year 2011
National Telstra Business Woman 2008 (Innovation)
naomisimson.com
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contents
chapter 1 - why HAPPINESS is important
chapter 2 - CHANGE THE WORLD - ONE THANK YOU AT A TIME
chapter 3 - giving thanks by giving of yourself
chapter 4 - thank you at work
chapter 5 - fivethanksaday.org
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chapter 1
why HAPPINESS is important
“Happiness doesn’t depend upon who you are or what
you have, it depends solely upon what you think.”
- Dale Carnegie
8 9

Why is happiness important?
Happiness is not an end state. It is a choice worth making.
After all, choosing happy has some great benefits:
Living Longer
Studies have found that feeling positive about life, rather than
feeling stressed or depressed, contributes to longevity. Negative
or pessimistic emotions can spur us to argue by generating fight-or-
flight response in the body, mediated by adrenaline and other
stress hormones. We experience a completely different physiological
response and outlook when we are in a positive frame of mind.
Happy people are 39% more likely to live to age 94.
Being Healthier
If you are happy and satisfied with life, you are more likely to treat
your body well. Being happy makes people less likely to over-indulge
in activities that adversely affect health, such as smoking, physical
inactivity and alcohol consumption.
Increased Resilience
Happiness and positivity work together. Positive people view the
glass as half full, which helps them see and act on options and
opportunities. Studies show that people who are positive or happy
solve problems better and faster. Their solutions are more inventive
and they concentrate better.
Greater Relationships
If you are happy you are more likely to be married, romantically
involved and have multiple close friendships. Which came first? Are
you happy because you are in a relationship or are you more likely
to be partnered up because you are happy? Both may very well
be true. Similarly, people with a higher level of social support are
invariably those that are happier. Spending less time alone and
more time with others improves wellbeing.
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Increased Productivity
Happy people = Happy profits. Thomas Wright, professor of
organisational behaviour at the University of Nevada, states
‘employee happiness accounts for as much as 10% to 15% of
the variance in performance between different workers’. In a 40-
hour week, that could mean up to three-quarters of an hour’s lost
productivity per day. Gallup tells us that disengaged workers cost
billions in lost productivity and organisations with a happy workforce
have 20% higher profits.
At work, happy people are:
• 31% more productive
• 40% more likely to receive a promotion (people like happy people)
• Have 23% fewer fatigue symptoms (less absenteeism)
• Up to 10% more engaged at work
• Happy sales people will produce 37% greater sales
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the five pillars of happiness
There is no doubt that happiness is different for different people.
In fact, one study on the subject concluded that happiness is 50 per
cent genetically determined (born that way), 10 per cent attributed
to environment (where you are), and 40 per cent modifiable by
doing certain things.
Although no one can wholly define happiness, most of us recognise
it when we see it in others or feel it in ourselves. Normally, no single
thing renders happiness, but I believe there are five pillars that
contribute to it:
1) FAMILY AND FRIENDS
Quality time with people that matter to us is scarce and precious.
At RedBalloon we want people to enjoy their friends and family with
gusto, love and loyalty. To create memories that can be talked about
for years.
2) THE WORK YOU CHOOSE
Great satisfaction comes from engaging in a profession where you
are valued and brings meaning beyond money. We want everyone to
be rewarded and recognised for the work they do. Happy people =
happy profits.
3) MAKING OTHER PEOPLE HAPPY
Happiness is infectious. There is an undeniably strong link between
feeling good and doing things to help other people.
4) WELLBEING
Our wellbeing contributes to our sense of happiness. There are
five important contributors to individual wellbeing: connectedness,
physical health, learning, giving and acknowledgement. Combined,
they directly link to our experience of happiness.
5) BEING THANKFUL
A huge part of whether or not we feel great comes down to whether
we choose to be happy, and taking action to make it happen.
By looking for good and being thankful we create more happiness
in our life and the lives around us.
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GRATITUDE AS A STARTING HAPPINESS PILLAR
We all ‘sense’ happiness differently, and could even apply a scale
to the experience:
Level One - momentary feelings such as joy or pleasure.
Level Two - judgments regarding feelings of wellbeing and
satisfaction.
Level Three - the quality of life we experience, such as flourishing
or fulfillment of one’s potential.
What I am interested in here in this little book is not so much those
moments of joy or pleasure that might be fleeting or pass quickly,
but more the sustained experience of life’s satisfaction. Of creating
practices for ongoing well-being.
Life is imperfect and total bliss is not a reality. There is no such
thing as Utopia – life is challenging – but we do have the power to
influence how we accept those challenges and view the world. As
humans we have the power of choice.
It is liberating to know that life is full of disappointments and
struggles for everyone, so we can give up our anxiety that
everyone is having a better time than us.
Happiness is a choice. The growing body of research is
demonstrating that as we become happier, we become better
people. As we become happier we become more compassionate,
more creative, more energetic, more financially successful, more
emotionally and physically healthy.
For those of us who are concerned with creating a “better” world,
becoming happier and helping others become happier appears a
very effective means to this end. Which is why I believe being
thankful is the most important pillar of happiness because looking
for good and expressing gratitude is the easiest way to create more
happiness in our life and the lives around us.
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chapter 2
CHANGE THE WORLD - ONE THANK YOU AT A TIME
“Silent gratitude isn’t much use to anyone.”
- G.B Stern
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“The best way to
achieve optimum happiness is to
have someone to love, something to
do and something to
hope for.”
SAY THANK YOU EVERYDAY
Grand gestures are fabulous, but they aren’t necessarily a daily
practice. The point about gratitude is that everyone can do it,
every single day.
The numbers speak for themselves. If we began thanking people
authentically each day, Australia – and the world - would be a far
happier place.
The first step is to be mindful. After all, you can’t be grateful for
what is evolving around you if you’re not truly present. Smell the
roses and appreciate what life presents. Here is as a great
example of what we can miss:
In Washington, DC, at a Metro Station, on a cold January morning
in 2007, a man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45
minutes. During that time, approximately 2,000 people went
through the station, most of them on their way to work.
After about three minutes, a middle-aged man noticed that there
was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a
few seconds, and then he hurried on to meet his schedule.
About four minutes later: The violinist received his first dollar.
A woman threw money in the hat and, without stopping,
continued to walk.
At six minutes: A young man leaned against the wall to listen to
him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.
At 10 minutes: A three-year-old boy stopped, but his mother tugged
him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again,
but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning
his head the whole time. This action was repeated by several other
children, but every parent - without exception - forced their children
to move on quickly.
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At 45 minutes: The musician played continuously. Only six people
stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but
continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of
$32.
After one hour: He finished playing and silence took over. No one
noticed and no one applauded. There was no recognition at all.
No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell (left), one of the
greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate
pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days
before, Joshua Bell sold out a theatre in Boston where the seats
averaged $100 each to sit and listen to him play the same music.
Joshua Bell, playing incognito in the D.C. Metro Station, was
organised by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment
about perception, taste and people’s priorities.
This experiment raised several questions: In a common-place
environment, at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? If so,
do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognise talent in an unexpected
context?
If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best
musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written,
with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made, how many
other things are we missing as we rush through life?
We are given gifts every day that we have conditioned ourselves not
to see - as we rush from one thing to another. It is time to take notice
of the beauty around us.
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If you’re out of the habit of ‘looking for good’ try this simple exercise:
each evening catalogue three good things you have experienced
during the day. Write them down, or share them with others. A
colleague does this at the dinner table with her family, and everyone
takes turns. At first you may struggle with three, but then as you
‘train’ yourself, you’ll easily find five, ten, twenty. The great coffee
you were made. The way the sun caught the bus window on your
commute to work.
“Positive affect - positive emotions, positive moods
and positive attitudes may in fact be the single
most important active ingredient in the recipe
for human flourishing.”
- Barbara Fredrickson - 2005
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THANKING PEOPLE CREATES POSITIVE ENERGY
I once had the privilege of meeting Professor Fiona Wood
(Australian Of The Year, 2005) and hearing about her experience
healing burn victims and the power of positivity.
‘Who are we not to dream?’ Professor Wood grew up in Yorkshire
in the UK and was profoundly inspired by these, the words of her
father, a miner, with little education - yet he had big dreams for
his children, and paved the way for all four of them to go on to
tertiary education.
Her thoughts on the importance and healing power of living a
positive life:
• “We should praise a little bit better – it does not hurt.”
• “I think of all the people who helped me along the way that I wish
I’d thanked more – and now they are not here.”
• “Taking a little extra time can make someone’s day; just seeing
what they do and telling them.”
• “Thanking people is about getting the positive energy in.”
• “The choices we make – make history tomorrow.”
Professor Wood has seen first-hand with burn victims that people
with a positive energy and a natural state of happiness are far more
likely to heal than those who are negative.
In her experience, some of the toughest nursing jobs are those in the
burns unit and the oncology unit – yet consistently she has witnessed
lower absenteeism by nurses in those units. She says it is her belief
that those nurses are the ones that are thanked the most - by both
their medical colleagues as well as the patients and their families.
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Professor Wood shows us that by being grateful to those around us
we enhance our positivity and resilience – and it will hold us in great
stead if we find ourselves in a calamity.
Here are some of the thank you stories shared with RedBalloon
over the years:
“The thank you I receive is knowing that I am doing something that
could very well save someone’s life or even help them live that bit
longer. I know that what I do has this effect on heaps of people out
there not only by the ads I see but also from the stories I’ve been
told. You see I am a regular Plasma Donor at the Australian Red
Blood Cross Service.
Knowing I am helping a young child, a growing teenager, a youthful
adult or even an elderly person out there makes me feel so special.
Also knowing that someone else out there who donated their blood is
what helped my aunty come through alive from her third pregnancy
after losing so much blood, will make me forever grateful and at night
I silently say my thank yous to this person.”
Anonymous
“My mother in law invited her daughter and I to live with her in order
for us to save enough money for our own home. We ended up living
with her for five years. As a massive thank you for her kindness, one
of the tokens of thanks we gave her was a RedBalloon experience.
We purchased for her the V8 Supercar Experience. She’s always
been into the V8s and is a massive Holden fan so she absolutely
loved it. She was beside herself. She raved on about it for a good
year afterwards to her friends, family, work mates etc. She had her
picture taken with the Holden V8 Supercar and it sits proudly in her
lounge room. Our relationship has never been so strong.”
Anonymous
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“Working in the travel industry meant I was lucky enough to often
receive small souvenirs as tokens of thanks in the course of my
work from happy clients. Two clients however touched me truly with
their thank you gesture. I organised a holistic holiday in Bali for a
couple, unaware at this stage that the purpose of the visit was due
to the woman being recently diagnosed with terminal cancer. About
a month after their return, they visited my office in tears - again not
entirely unusual. My initial thoughts were something went wrong on
the trip or they needed to arrange travel to a funeral etc - but they
were so touched by my assistance (I had made sure a few nice
surprises were in store as they were just so lovely). They had bought
me a reading from the famous ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ Medicine Man as
a gift and explained the real reason behind their journey and the
amazing recovery she had since experienced. We all ended up in
tears, I felt so amazingly special to have been a small part in their
story and tried to live my life more fully from that moment onwards.”
Anonymous
“Next to my train station is a homeless man that comes and
goes every year from the one spot. I’ve watched him over the
past couple of years and thought how cold and horrible it would
be in winter. I ordered a new doona one day and promised myself
that once I received my order I would give him my old doona to
help keep him warm. My mum packed a few pairs of trackie pants,
socks and jumper that my dad doesn’t use to give to him as well.
One night I finally walked up to him, introduced myself and gave
him the two bags of clothes and doona. He was very touched,
but it wasn’t until he saw I had given him a simple pair of trackie
pants, that he yelled, “TRACKIES! Thank-you so much, I’ve
needed a pair so bad!”. I felt very touched that something so
simple had brought a smile to his face and evidently warmth.
He then offered to make me a painting as a thank you and
I now have this hanging in my bedroom.”
Anonymous
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“People often worry about
saying thank you appropriately.
Do you send a card? Or a gift?
Busting the gratitude myths
As members of society - with a sum as great as its parts -
it’s vital for us to understand individually and collectively how
important it is to be grateful for the generosity of others -
and that an authentic thank you is a gift that works both ways.
Yet plenty of misconceptions still exist about expressing gratitude.
Myth #1: Saying thank you often seems insincere.
If you overdo it, people take your gratitude for granted.
It is not the quantity but the quality of the acknowledgement that
makes the difference. Good manners cannot be worn out.
You can make someone’s day, every day, so long as the
acknowledgement is truly personal, timely and relevant.
Generic words that are not specific do little to make you
or the other person feel great. Be specific.
“Mum has 14 kids - me being the eldest at 25 years and Charlie at 4
the youngest. Seven of us are fostered so it’s really hectic at home
so I try at least once a month to take mum out for lunch so she can
have a break. I guess this is my way of saying thank you to our
amazing mum who puts all the kids before herself (every time). It
makes me feel like I’m giving some back to her so it makes me feel
great too.”
Anonymous
32 33

Myth #2: It is not appropriate to give gifts to
professional leaders for doing their job.
People who are charged with motivating and inspiring others don’t
do so for the ‘thank you’ - but as a speaker, I know how much I give
of myself every time I step before an audience.
What any form of leader or teacher really wants to know is that they
made a difference to another person’s life or way of thinking. Letting
them know the contribution they made is the outcome for which they
work. To give them a thoughtful gift - even in the form of positive
feedback - shows that their preparation and performance was
appreciated.
Myth #3: During times of economic hardship, gifting is a
non-essential purchase that doesn’t deserve priority.
Gifting is central to our wellbeing. It is essential to our humanness.
The way we thank someone, or acknowledge them, is what makes
people feel connected to one another. The evidence-based research
by the New Economic Foundation points to the benefits of gifting
not only upon the recipient but also the giver. Giving a great gift is a
source of happiness.
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chapter 3
Giving Thanks By Giving Of Yourself
“You give but little when you give of your possessions.
It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.”
- Kahlil Gibran
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I believe one of the greatest gifts of thanks you can give is yourself.
Giving of yourself and your time is one of the most fulfilling ways
of giving thanks. Basically, when you give - you get. This has long
been documented as part of the five elements of well being outlined
by the New Economic Forum; but research by Dr. Stephen Post at
US top universities has proven the life-enhancing benefits of giving
behaviour 1.
Post’s research shows that when we give of ourselves, especially if
we start young, everything from life-satisfaction to self-realisation
and physical health is significantly affected. Mortality is delayed.
Depression is reduced. Wellbeing and good fortune are increased.
The research includes a fifty-year study showing that people who
are giving during their high school years have better physical and
mental health throughout their lives. Other studies show that older
people who give live longer than those who don’t. Helping others
has been shown to bring health benefits to those with chronic illness,
including HIV, multiple sclerosis, and heart problems. And studies
show that people of all ages who help others on a regular basis,
even in small ways, feel happiest.
Post writes, “focusing on others causes a shift from our unhealthy
preoccupation with ourselves and reduces the stress-related wear
and tear on our body and soul.”
1. http://www.whygoodthingshappen.com/
38 39

Being a volunteer is incredibly good for your health (as well as the
recipient). It has been referred to as ‘the helper’s high’ – which is the
sense of satisfaction and comfort that is created from knowing that
you have done something to assist another human being.
Giving doesn’t need to be extravagant or formal – but it does need
to be regular to have ongoing benefits to your wellbeing. A simple
visit to the local retirement home for a game of scrabble, or reading
in a classroom at the local preschool is all ideal volunteer work that
would do the trick.
Some facts:
• Regular volunteers live longer.
• Volunteers are less likely to experience depression,
and they are more satisfied with life.
• In 2006, 5.2 million people (34 per cent) of the Australian
population aged 18 years and over, participated in
voluntary work.
• They contributed 713 million hours to the community, an
average of 136 hours each per year or 2.6 hours per week.
• The comparison of 1995, 2000 and 2006 data reveal that
volunteer rates increased from 24 per cent to 32 per cent
and to 35 per cent between these three time points 2.
2. http://www.volunteering.com.au/tools_and_research/volunteering_statistics.asp
40 41

My own personal experience with volunteering began when I was
invited to appear on Channel Nine’s Secret Millionaire program.
I was asked after the airing of the program whether I enjoyed the
experience. Enjoyed? No. But did I find it challenging, confronting,
and rewarding? Absolutely.
I am not an actor, nor in the entertainment industry. I have had little
to do with television. I did the program on the premise that it was
a documentary on volunteering. I did not know where I was going,
whom I would meet, nor how I would get on. It was an experience
of a lifetime. I was touched, moved and inspired by so many people
I met. Humbled by what volunteers contribute throughout Australia.
“I watched the secret millionaire last night and was touched by the
struggles of the people you met in a most humbling way. It really hit
home on how fortunate we are sometimes and how we can take this
for granted, especially when you see kids with cancer. They still have
a life to fight for and they are so young to have to face this sort of
challenge.”
Martine
“I do believe we get what we believe and give our attention to and
that experiences are the things we grow and profit from the most,
remember the most and take with us always. Secret Millionaire
has shown many Australians - including myself - the power of
volunteering and started to debunk the common misconception that
to have real financial success requires you to be a horrible person
instead of being someone who can make the world better!”
Karin Hanna
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As Winston Churchill famously said, “We make a living by what we
get, but we make a life by what we give.” Here are a few ‘Unsung
Hero’ stories the public has shared over the years with RedBalloon:
“Peter Schiff has saved hundreds of lives with his blood donations.
He been a blood donor for 57 years and holds the record for the
most blood donations in Victoria. He has donated blood, plasma
and platelets over 560 times. With one donation saving three lives,
he has helped to save more than 1600 lives on his own. Every week
Australia needs 26,000 blood donations to ensure hospitals and
clinics have enough blood to help people in need.”
Matty and Jacqui
“When he is not at work, Ashley volunteers with the SES. With all the
flooding in Queensland, I barely saw him. I ran into him the other
day and he filled me in on what has been going on with the flood
recovery. It saddened me when he told me that he has been
spending all his free time cleaning up and recovering the deceased
from the floods. At 20 years of age, Ashley has seen some very
horrific things and been doing the things that many of us could not
bear to do. I am lost for words when I hear the things he has seen
and done. I feel that Ashley is my unsung hero and I wanted him
to know.”
Jessica
“My grandmother, Hilda, is an inspiration to all. Until a couple of
years ago Hilda was part of the Legion of Mary, visiting elderly ill
people to bring comfort and a little happiness to their lives. (These
people were usually 15-20 years younger than Grandmere)! In
her spare time, my Grandmere keeps in regular contact with all
her grandchildren via email. For the past 15 years she has been
providing French tuition to her grandchildren and their friends at a
secondary school level - even providing coaching in preparation for
University Entrance Exams. Hilda accomplishes all of this with a big
smile on her face and with joy in her heart without realising the
powerful and inspirational effect she has on those around her.”
Veronique
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“Regular volunteers live
longer, are less likely to
experience depression and
are more satisfied
with life.”
“Simon has dedicated his whole life to helping people. Rural Fire
Service, Scout / Venturer leader, computer fixer friend to all he meets
and first one to offer assistance to others. Life changed for Simon in
2010. His wife Heidi, daughter Tegan and son Alex (five and three
at the time), were driving to school when a dead tree fell straight on
top of their car. The children came out without a scratch, but Heidi
was left a quadriplegic. From day one of the accident, Simon has
amazed us all with his boundless energy to be full time carer to two
young children, run the house, work, continue to support the local
Scout group, organise home modifications, fill out endless forms
and hospital documents, take the kids to parties, and so many other
things that most of us wouldn’t be able to achieve with another full
time adult partner to help! Simon has done all of this, and not a
day has gone by that he has complained of what life has dealt him.
People always comment to me about how he always has a smile and
a polite chat for all. It’s a long road ahead for Simon, but I know he
will not fall short in his role as husband and father.”
Tanya and Dave
“Nett is positive, energetic, outgoing and happy. She works for Big
Brother and Big Sister as a Senior Mentoring Coordinator. She
meets with young people and their families that can benefit from the
program and she volunteer mentors. Nett goes above and beyond
ALL of the time... There are many young people on waiting lists,
and Nett has thought outside the box to come up with programs
that mean that these young people can be involved in things that
provide them with mentoring, but in a group environment- things
like boxing and dance classes. Not only does Nett devote so much
extra time to this, she also has her own family. She is never too
busy to listen to people, she is always available, she is positive,
she is energetic, she’s always laughing... truly inspiring.”
Laurelin
46 47

“Mary is a truly unique and community orientated person. Mary
volunteers for Meals on Wheels and helps with community shopping
trips for the elderly within our community, always willing to carry
shopping bags for them. Mary also volunteers at her local Visitor
Information Centre as an ambassador. She is a devoted wife, mother
and grandma that gets her grandchildren off to school safely every
morning. Mary is reliable and NEVER lets anyone down.”
Stacey
“Brian is a man’s man who loves to go fishing in his boat and always
looks out for those who cross the very dangerous bar at his local
beach. He willingly, anonymously and with no need for thanks,
helps so many and his own health issues don’t hinder his efforts to
help those in need. Brian put his own safety at risk when no other
boaties would help an elderly man without a life jacket whose boat
had flipped over. Following the rescue, Brian not only organised an
ambulance while the boat was being bashed about by the massive
waves but took the man into shore where the ambulance waited. It
didn’t end there - Brian went back and salvaged as much as he could
of the man’s boat and possessions before collapsing himself with
exhaustion. He also saved two elderly men from a sinking dingy out
in the ocean who would not have made it without Brian’s help. He
towed the boat to shore and took the men on board to safety. He has
done this same thing over and over countless times and only ever
had one person thank him. He doesn’t make a fuss about his bravery
and skill and plays down his part in these incredible rescues. Brian
is unselfish and is an inspiration and example of good old-fashioned
Aussie mateship who will help anyone anytime.”
Christine
48 49

“Rhonda has been providing foster care for longer than I can
remember, I think it’s been about twenty odd years. She used to be
one of the few people in her area that would take the emergency
cases at any time of day or night, and would take all the kids
nobody else wanted. You couldn’t count the amount of children that
she has cared for - both long term and short. Along with her friend
Ethel, Rhonda organises and fundraises for an annual Christmas
party for foster children and their foster families. She has always
been a woman who gives all of herself to others.”
Rachel
“Nadine was a force to be reckoned with during the Brisbane RSPCA
shelter flood recovery. She was responsible for leading teams of
volunteers and assisting with the cleaning and repairing of the
shelter. She has been a volunteer with RSPCA QLD for many years
and is a valued member of the team. She arrived early and stayed
late and coordinated teams of volunteers to help in the clean up.
She was the driving force with our garden clean up and has been
unwavering in her support and efforts for the animals.”
Amanda
“I nominate Johnny Wheelock for the tireless effort he puts into
raising funds for the RFDS here in country WA. John can been seen
out and about everyday collecting aluminium cans around the town
of Carnarvon and his band of volunteers collect woolpacks from
homes throughout our town. John has had a hip replacement done
and even when he is in pain he still walks everyday collecting cans
off the sidewalk for the RFDS.”
Russell
50 51

chapter 4
Thank You At Work
“You never say thank you.”
- Peggy Olsen
“That’s what the money is for!”
- Don Draper
52 53

In Series 4 of international TV hit, Mad Men, the famous Don
Draper shouts down his colleague’s plea for recognition. Back
in 1965 that might have been an accepted way for bosses to
interact with their employees, but thankfully we have since moved
on. Haven’t we?
I remember a speaking engagement I once gave on how important
it is to acknowledge an individual’s contribution to an organisation
in a personal and authentic way on a regular basis. (It has to be
regular because according to Gallup, employees will forget an
acknowledgement within seven days).
During the talk, a question came from the audience: “But, what if
you say thank you to someone – or give them a gift, or acknowledge
them with an award - and a month or two later they do something
that is ‘against company policy’ or detrimental to the business?”
I was surprised by the question. That would be like a parent not
praising the good things their child does because they might do
something naughty later on.
Generosity of spirit may not be taught in an MBA. Yet generosity
in the workplace can lift the employer/employee relationship from
a purely economic transaction of skills for money to something
far bigger.
54 55

What’s at stake is the discretionary effort an individual brings to
their job role. The difference is in the level of effort one is capable
of bringing to an activity or a task, versus the effort required only to
get by or make-do.
From the boss’s point of view, it’s obviously more preferable to
employ people who go that extra mile. Likewise, research shows that
employees prefer to work in organisations that offer them a shared
sense of purpose.
Generosity in the workplace starts with an authentic thank you. It
doesn’t always have to be elaborate. A manager noticing a job well
done, then leaving a thank you card and coffee/tea/chai voucher
on the employee’s desk works wonders. Putting a structure around
gratitude – like a rewards and recognition program – doesn’t make
the gratitude less authentic. Instead, it brings it front of mind and
creates a value that’s valued as a matter of policy.
Saying thank you with a gift
At RedBalloon, we’ve found that more than 50 per cent of Australian
businesses give their employees a leaving gift – yet less than one
percent give them a welcome gift (BTW - a uniform does not count as
a welcome gift). Receiving some form of tangible congratulations
for joining an organisation is a great way to set the tone of
acknowledgment at the beginning of the employment journey.
However, giving a gift is not always the right thing to do. In fact, a
bad gift can do more harm than good. A gift has the power to either
enhance a relationship or detract from it because it is symbolic of
our intentions towards another person and our relationship with
them ... what we think of them, how important they are to us, and
the potential future relationship we intend to have with them.
Paying acknowledgment, or thanking someone authentically, can be
a great gift in itself. It usually comes back to the intention of the gift.
56 57

Is it given out of love, kindness and generosity or does it come with
an ulterior motive - to get something in return, to buy a favour, or to
coerce someone?
A true gift or a thank you needs to be given purely out of generosity
to extend kindness and care in order to enhance the relationship.
This applies to corporate as well as personal gifts. What you give
someone is just as important - the best gift is always something that
is relevant to the recipient, something that means something to them.
There are three steps to authentic gifting:
1. Recognise the intention of the gift and be real when you deliver
the message. Thank them specifically for what they did for you or
the relationship you have with them.
2. Reflect on and express the impact that person has on you
personally (as well as the organisation) E.g. ‘without your
contribution, the project would not have shipped on time.’
3. Let them know why you selected that gift for them. e.g. ‘I know
that you have always wanted to learn sushi making - I hope you
and your partner enjoy it.’
We are all busy - but the power of taking the time out to select
and deliver a great gift will reap more rewards than you can ever
imagine… not just because of the way you made them feel; but also
because of the way it made you feel when you gave the perfect gift.
58 59

Happy People =
Happy Customers =
Happy Profits
Sharing thanks is better than cash
Research shows that a simple authentic ‘thank you’ can deliver
more to your bottom line than giving someone a cash bonus or
pay increase:
• Spot Awards to employees resulted in 10 times greater return
on investment than an increase in base pay. - McKinsey and
Company Compensation Round Table 2008.
• Paying people a compliment appears to activate the same
reward centre in the brain as paying them cash. - The Japanese
National Institute for Physiological Services.
• Praising employees had the same impact on job satisfaction as a
1 per cent increase in pay, which would equate to GBP5.2bil for
UK businesses alone. - White Water Strategies.
• Non cash incentives were 24 per cent more powerful at boosting
performance than cash incentives. - University of Chicago 2004.
The above is known as psychic income. It speaks to the human
need for social acceptance and self esteem that cash cannot meet.
60 61

At RedBalloon, we have found consistent ongoing communication
is essential within the reward and recognition programs that we
run. People need to be educated about the total ‘work experience’,
not just what they get and give - and having a good time at work
and being noticed at work by bosses and peers is a very powerful
component of this education.
Cash works best as compensation for effort - even if it was intended
as a gift - and it is appropriate because it is required in order to
meet most of the basic needs of life. However, consistent ongoing
recognition programs are a way of feeding the psyche.
I remember one of our blue chip clients decided to give a cash gift
to each of its 10,000 employees and reported to me that it was the
single worst $10 million investment they ever made because those
who were highly paid never noticed it in their bank accounts, those
who were part of workplace agreements demanded it be part of the
following year’s productivity bonus, and it created a lot of infighting
and resentment between employees of varying levels of seniority
and between full-timers and part-timers.
62 63

Cash is a no-no if you want to make people feel great about
themselves. If you don’t capture their hearts and minds no amount
of cash will keep them long term.
The trick is to get people fully engaged; and the only way to do that
is to share the vision of the business, what they are doing and where
the business is heading.
If funds are tight and there are no Christmas bonuses to be had, you
can still authentically acknowledge what people have contributed via
a hand written card, or a gift they can share with family and friends.
Having Fun and Empathy with Reward and Recognition
There are three key elements to a successful rewards program:
1. Acknowledgement - demonstrate to your people that you notice
their contribution.
2. Let your people choose their reward.
3. Encourage and celebrate achievement.
Now each one of these is an essay in its own right, but one story
springs to mind to demonstrate why they are important:
Some time ago, a client shared with me the story of a colleague.
Formerly a team she had been promoted to head up a small call
centre of 50 people. It was her mission to show her team she really
cared. There was one exceptional performer. She wanted to make
sure he was acknowledged and for his colleagues to know what a
contribution he made.
She arranged an awards dinner and invited her star performer to
accept his beautifully framed award certificate. Yet the reaction she
got was anything other than glee. In fact, under his breath - but loud
enough for people to hear – the star performer made a derogatory
remark about what the company could do with its plaque.
64 65

For the next 12 months, the previous year’s star continued to be an
outstanding performer. The new manager again wanted to recognise
this employee’s contribution, but did not want to go through the
humiliation of another awards ceremony.
One day, she dropped by his desk and noticed the photos of his kids
throughout his cube. After speaking to his colleagues, she discovered
his children were the most important things in his life.
So instead of a certificate, the manager contacted the top achiever’s
wife and secretly arranged for a professional photo shoot of his
family. When the award dinner came around again and the same
man’s name was announced as the winner of the top accolade,
he rolled his eyes as he came to the podium. Yet when the framed
portrait was presented, his eyes filled with tears and he whispered his
thanks and how beautiful the award was. Plus when Dad got home
the children were so excited to share their side of the story and the
secret surprise they had been part of for him.
The lesson? A one-size fits all reward and recognition program is
an impersonal exercise and totally defeats the purpose. Without
spending a dollar more, by making the process playful and personal
to suit individual employees, workplace rewards can become more
meaningful, memorable and motivating.
Remember, people are people. A sense of personality and fun are
both essential when it comes to adequately expressing gratitude for
going beyond the call. Putting generosity and authentic gratitude at
the heart of your workplace can have an amazing impact on morale,
motivation and engagement.
66 67

Below are some stories of thanks that have resonated in the
workplace:
“We gave two of our staff members a holiday at a very exclusive
platinum chalet at a beautiful resort. These two staff work longer
hours than everyone else and continued their work at home until late
at night. Always, they were at work earlier than everyone else and
always gave 100%. They also were in quite ill health and had many
personal issues including financial, none of which stopped them from
giving their best. We presented this as a travel document in ribbon
and announced it in front of everyone to show the other staff how
much we appreciated all their hard work and how this hard work can
be rewarded. It made us feel like we had given them something they
would never be able to do for themselves. A feeling of great fulfilment
and satisfaction to make someone happy for not only doing their job
but going that extra mile.”
“One of our manufacturing partners arranged for a mobile Boost
Juice stand to be set up in our boardroom. This was in appreciation
of the previous fiscal year. Staff were invited to grab their juice to
give them a BOOST in sales for the new fiscal year. This was a great
initiative and made everyone feel really valued. It also gave our team
a focus for the day to develop new opportunities on behalf of the
manufacturer.”
“My last day of a job I had held for many years, these people were
more family than friends - They surprised me with a hamper full of
things that we shared together in the office. It was a huge basket with
salad dressings we shared at lunch, wine we shared on Friday arvo
and snacks and treats we sneaked when we were feeling naughty!
I was so over-whelmed by the thoughtfulness that went into putting
this hamper together, it was an unforgettable present and a perfect
ending to my time there!”
68 69

“Just recently I was called into my manager’s office who wanted to
say thank you very much on behalf of the team for doing such a great
job. We recently had done a huge mailout to referrers and I had the
HUGE job of entering all the responses from the returned survey
forms into our database, which wasn’t an easy task trying to read all
the doctors’ handwriting.
The company I work for had given me two Gold Class movie
vouchers. I wasn’t expecting anything for doing this particular job as
it was part of my job anyway.
Receiving the Gold Class Movie Vouchers made me feel really
appreciated and lucky to work for such a wonderful company who
looked after their employees, I felt really valued. I was very grateful
for the gift, as I have never been to Gold Class Movies before. I have
worked for the same company for 11 years now and I am still a very
happy employee.”
70 71

chapter 5
Paying It Forward: FiveThanksADay.Org
“God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today.
Have you used one to say ‘thank you?’”
- William Arthur Ward
72 73

So we know what giving thanks can do for others and ourselves;
we know how it works on a personal and professional level
and the extraordinary (and simple) ways people can make an
impact with their generosity.
If you’re anything like me, you’re now turning over ideas on how
you can interweave gratitude into your daily life so that it is second
nature yet special. Of course grand gestures are fabulous and almost
guaranteed to make an impact, but if you take anything from my
musings it is that we can all adopt simple practises to acknowledge
and express thankfulness every day.
Firstly, visit FiveThanksADay.Org. Happiness is infectious and
one of the simplest ways to make someone’s day is simply by
acknowledging them authentically by saying “thank you”.
Quite simply you can ‘pass it on’. If you choose to authentically
thank five people a day for what they have done for you, and you
did this for 100 days, then 500 people are going to feel better for it.
Those 500 people might in turn thank someone else.
You could even pass this little book on from time to time. Order a
few copies and give them to people you know who are in touch
with other people a lot.
I’d like to capture more of these stories, so we simply and
effectively notice how - by giving thanks - we are making this
country a happier one.
So, please, visit FiveThanksADay.Org and share what happens when
you start committing to saying five-thanks-a-day.
74 75

Here are some suggestions to get you started:
1. Write it in a letter
- or in an email; on a card; in a text message; the back of
an envelope; or a fortune cookie. Put it in writing, make it
personal, go to the effort.
2. Use your words
- say it face to face and say it from the heart. Also extra points
if you call someone instead of texting and make actual contact
rather than leaving a voicemail.
3. Make a mental note
- at the end of every day, instead of thinking about all you
have to do, count your blessings. Reflect on that which you
have (not lack) in your life and feel good about them.
4. This one’s on me
- pick up the tab for a meal, coffee or parking. Make it a
surprise rather than an expected part of your time together.
5. Gift card
- a little amount towards a store, experience or service of
interest can say a lot.
6. Dear Diary
- if keeping a journal is your thing, keep a record of that which
you have gratefully received in your life each day.
7. To the heart via the stomach
- say it with food; a hamper of favourites; a box of chocolates;
your specialty meal.
8. Pray
- give thanks in prayer.
76 77

9. Tell one tell all
- make your thank you public... during a speech, in an office
memo, on Facebook, in front of a gathering.
10. Meditate
- make your gratitude your mantra.
11. Clean
- reduce someone else’s workload by tidying their house, your
room, clearing their gutters, polishing their car.
12. Donate
- make a financial contribution to someone’s favourite charity
in their name.
13. Volunteer
- give your time for free to help out a worthy cause.
14. Return the favour
- when someone watches your back (or your kids), find a way
to help them out another day in kind.
15. Say cheese
- send a photo of you showing your gratitude for a gift you
received or for the time you have spent with someone (tip:
Instagram is an easy way to add serious bling to digital pics).
16. Time out
- of your busy schedule to spend time with someone who
deserves it.
17. Let it show let it show let it show
- If someone makes you happy, let them see that they do.
Smile. Give them your best self.
78 79

18. Rally the troops
- someone has to be the one to organise the group card or gift,
why not you.
19. A bunch in bloom
- cliché or not, it’s hard to go past pretty flowers without
smelling the roses.
20. Art with heart
- take a leaf out of the kids’ book and make your own thank
you card or personalised, one of a kind piece of art or craft.
21. Reward with an award
- light-hearted and silly for friends and family or formally
presented professional recognition for the workplace.
22. Testimonial
- provide a professional recommendation – in a letter, via
LinkedIn or agree to participate in a professional case study.
23. Create your own Karma
- pay forward any good fortune or treatment; do unto others
as has been done to you.
Unexpected thank yous can mean so much. I challenge you to
thank five people today... people who usually don’t get noticed.
The dry cleaner perhaps? What about the bus driver who got you
to your destination safely and on time? It just takes noticing. We, as
customers, can really impact the level of enjoyment someone has in
doing their job.
For example, I received the following email from a member of
the audience of one of my speaking engagements. It was a delight
to receive and to be told that my hour-long speech has made a
difference to someone...
80 81

Hi Naomi,
I heard you speak recently at Air New Zealand’s leadership college
at Auckland. I must confess to having never heard of you or your
organisation before. I found you a delight to listen to and lots of
what you said made sense to me. I didn’t really see how most
of the customer contact stuff would relate to me as I work in line
maintenance looking after the servicing and repair of aeroplanes
before they venture off across the Pacific or Tasman. However, a
recent event reminded me of what you said about surprising and
delighting the customer. I was onboard NZ2 for Los Angeles with
5-10 minutes to go before departure, completing some last minute
stuff (refuelling, paperwork, etc) when a flight attendant asked me
to check a reading light in the premium economy section. The light
needed relamping so I got a spare lamp from the flight deck and
replaced the failed one. After I had done this I noticed the passenger
seemed really happy and he told me that in all his years of travelling
he had never known an airline that would actually fix something for a
passenger right before departure as I had done. This also reminded
me of what you said about thanking people, because being thanked
in this manner made me feel fantastic for the rest of my shift and
probably for a good few days after as well.
Best regards,
Shaun Houlahan
Thank you, Shaun - those two magic words really do make an
amazing difference.
82 83

What does it mean
to be thankful?
This is the question Naomi Simson,
founder of RedBalloon, asks of us.
Serving close to two million customers
with memorable experiences, she has
been privileged to see inside other
people’s lives; particularly around very
personal occasions such as births,
marriages, anniversaries and
celebrations. She has witnessed the
rawness of emotion, pure joy and
the simplicity of happiness.
One by one; gift by gift; thanks by thanks;
we can all make a difference to
relationships and the way people feel.
Thank you is infectious. Within these pages you’ll discover stories and
simple insights into how easy it is to make another human being’s day
by simply saying thank you - and in so doing, contribute to happiness.
Share your own stories of thanks at
http://fivethanksaday.org

How to Spread Happiness with Gratitude

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