Man on a Mission to be Grateful Writes 5 Thank-You Notes a Day for a Year
Nothing much really since it's a common expression for many people, which they use in response to receiving greetings on their birthdays, weddings, graduations, and other similar momentous occasions.
It's definitely not something that could make anybody stand out—until a 33-year-old salesman from Plano, Texas did something extraordinary to break this common notion.
He is John Israel, a man who became famous because of his "Thank you" notes—hundreds of them.
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Speaking to ABC News recently, Israel said he has made it his mission to write five thank-you cards per day for one year—a total of 365 days—to show people how much they are appreciated.
Israel started "The Year of Thank You" on Oct.10, 2016, according to Faithwire.
He said he's nearing the 200th day of his mission and intends to finish it on Oct. 10, 2017. If he reaches his goal, he will have hand-written 1,825 notes.
Israel said it has become part of his daily routine to write the thank-you notes.
Writing on his own website, Israel explains the reason for the project: He wants to elevate the level of gratitude in the world.
To achieve this, he has been working hard for the past six months in writing and sending sweet short notes to former teachers, waitresses, and pilots among others.
He has also been finding unique ways to meet the goal. He once left thank-you notes in his old suits that he donated to a Goodwill retail store. One of the notes he put there says, "Thank you for picking this up, and I hope it serves you well."
Israel told ABC News that as a gift salesman at Cutco Cutlery and Cutco Closing Gifts, he has always enjoyed writing thank-you notes.
"I've had a lot of positive experiences giving them and receiving them, and I was like, 'I want to do that every day,'" he said.
It takes him about an hour and a half to write the five notes every day, Israel said.
He said many of the recipients of his notes have responded with their own notes. He has put on display more than 20 of those responses in his home.
These include the heartfelt responses from airline pilots whom he thanked for getting him safely to his destination. He has also received a hug from a waitress he thanked for working hard in her job.
Israel said the responses he received made him realize the importance of appreciating people even for the seemingly mundane things they do.
