What happened to August? Certainly more loads of day have gone by than I can count, but I am inspired today.
Last night a friend, for whom I have great respect, gave me some unsolicited praise. Ka-boom! That's all it took--a few kind words--to give me a much needed bit of encouragement and here I am again. I know! I know! I am easy that way. But it got me to thinking, too, how little words of encouragement or PRAISE can lift a person's spirit.
Think about it. It is so nice to hear something positive or complimentary, isn't it? I can't think of a person who doesn't like it.
So, why is it so hard to do? I wonder if some people aren't brave enough to do it. Maybe being brave enough comes with age. I know now that if I see a person and I admire her outfit, her hair, or even her looks, I am more than likely to tell her. I don't know that I did that when I was younger. I hope I did but likely not. I was probably not brave enough.
Will others think one is out of bounds by giving a compliment? Will that nice-looking man think you are "coming on" to him if you throw out a compliment? (Well, I kid myself. Maybe a few years ago. Now, he would probably say, "Thank you, ma'am." Or think to himself, "Oh, boy, an old lady thinks I'm nice-looking! Gee!) But you know what I mean.
Does one think that a person probably already knows what you are admiring about them? Or maybe a person thinks it will give another, as we used to say, "the big head?"
Or are we mainly thinking more about ourselves than others? Hmmm.
Maybe it's little bit of all of the above. Maybe it's none. Nevertheless, I love praise. I really think most people do. (Maybe most don't say it publicly, but obviously I don't mind!) Anyway, thanks, my friend, for giving me a nice dose of praise last night. I thought about it with every wagon load of day that went by today!
