I have eluded to this post a couple of posts ago. And, now I have waited so long that I am afraid that I have lost the spirit of my intended original post. But, I still like the message and so I will do my best to get it back. If you are like me you are scrolling down the page right now and asking yourself what I could have to share that would have to take so many paragraphs and so many words. I like short and sweet posts on the blogs I read and tend to pass up the long ones until I have time later. Feel free to do that, or, read on.
The endings to two books that I really loved Bringing Out the Best in People and Positve Words, Powerful Results touched me. I think it was mostly because they emphasize the fact that small things can make big changes in the lives of the people you associate with. And, it seems that we try to focus on the big things we do and sometimes overlook the small things that would make all the difference. For instance, writing someone a note! That is what this post is about. The power of giving someone a hand-written note of encouragement or love. What kind of an impact can that have?
I am going to paraphrase a story given in Positve Words, Powerful ResultsI by Hal Urban to avoid printing a long story here. It is about the author of the comic strip Dilbert, Scott Adams. He was watching a show about cartooning and got some ideas. So, he wrote the host of the show asking for some more information. The host politely wrote back and answered all of his questions and encouraged him by telling him he shouldn't give up when he received a few early rejections. Scott followed his advice except that he did get discouraged when he received those early rejections and he put his materials away and forgot cartooning as a career. Then, about fifteen months later he received another letter from the host of the show. Scott was surprised to hear from him when he hadn't even thanked him for the advice he had given him the first time. The letter encouraged him again to hang in there and keep drawing. Scott was touched by the letter especially considering that the host had nothing to gain by writing it and states that he wouldn't have tried cartooning again if he hadn't received that letter of encouragement.
Hal Urban goes on to talk about some other examples of how a personal note can become a treasure. I wont go into all the details here. But, he encourages us to just take time to write a note to express our appreciation or love. He says, "Mark Twain said that he could live for a year on one good compliment." And, if you've ever been in a drought of encouragement, you know how it feels to have someone say the slightest thing that sounds in the least bit encouraging! To have someone say the know you can do it! Or, have them tell you that you have what it takes to make your dreams come true and live your purpose! It makes me cry just thinking of it. And, to think, that we all have that power. We all have the ability to make this kind of difference in someone else's life. And, it's free!! It doesn't cost anything.
And, the road goes both ways! Odds are there is someone who looks up to you and whose life you have made an impact on. And, no doubt it would be encouraging to you if that person told you so. So, this begs the question.... Have you thanked the people who made that kind of a difference for you? Did you make sure they knew what small thing had impacted your life in a way that you can't even explain? Do you ever notice something wonderful about someone else but keep it to yourself? Why? Too often we keep our feelings to ourselves when sharing them would have made all the difference to someone else.
These books and others like The Anatomy of Peace by the Arbringer Institute and A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle can help you answer some of these questions. I am seeking these answers for myself and doing my best to extend every compliment that crosses my mind! I hope you do the same and think of someone today that you can encourage with a note of thanks, a compliment, some appreciation or love!! God Bless!!
