I Want to Thank You

How a Year of Gratitude Can Bring Joy and Meaning in a Disconnected World

By: Gina Hamadey

Narrated by: Gina Hamadey

An inspiring guide to saying thank you, one heartfelt note at a time.

We all know that gratitude is good for us - but the real magic comes when we express it. Writer Gina Hamadey learned this life-changing lesson firsthand when a case of burnout and too many hours on social media left her feeling depleted and disconnected. In this engaging book, she chronicles how 12 months spent writing 365 thank-you notes to strangers, neighbors, family members, and friends shifted her perspective. Her journey shows that developing a lasting active gratitude practice can make you a happier person, heal complicated relationships, and reconnect you with the people you love - all with just a little bit of bravery at the mailbox.

How can we turn an often-dreaded task into a rewarding act of self-care that makes us feel more present, joyful, and connected? Whether we're writing to a long-lost friend, a helpful neighbor, or a child's teacher, this inspiring book helps us reflect on meaningful memories and shared experiences and express ourselves with authenticity, vulnerability, and heart. Informed by Hamadey's year of discovery as well as interviews with experts on relationships, gratitude, and more, this deceptively simple guide offers a powerful way to jump-start your joy.

Hamadey found herself thanking not only family members and friends, but less expected people in her sphere, including local shopkeepers, physical therapists, long-ago career mentors, favorite authors, and more. Once you get going, you might find yourself cultivating an active gratitude practice, too - one heartfelt note of thanks at a time.

©2021 Gina Hamadey (P)2021 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“As a fan of both gratitude and year-long projects, I was hooked from the start. This book inspired me to write more and better notes to everyone from co-workers to college friends, and in doing so, helped me defy the gloomy and apocalyptic mindset that has overtaken so many of us.” (A.J. Jacobs, author of Thanks a Thousand)

"Gina Hamadey has a way with words, with friends, with neighbors, with those tugging feelings we all have that maybe we've forgotten what's important. I Want to Thank You is a tonic for our times. It will cheer your day, guide you back to what matters most, and remind you of the power you have to make someone else feel special - most especially the ones you love. Thank you for this lovely book." (Bruce Feiler, New York Times best-selling author of Life is in the Transitions and The Secrets of Happy Families)

"Gina makes me want to slow down, to reconnect, and, most of all, to appreciate the life I have, in all of its challenges and complexities. Thank you, Gina, thank you.” (Emma Straub, author of All Adults Here and owner of Books Are Magic)

Heartwarming and inspirational

I found this book while working on a (much smaller) gratitude project of my own. It made me stop and think of all of the people that bring joy or comfort to my life in big ways and small- and how often I let the opportunity pass to share just how much their words, actions, etc. mean to me for fear of seeming silly or because I assume there will always be another opportunity to share it later. This is a great read!