In Praise of Praise

Earlier this week I received the most delightful postcard in the mail. It was embellished and customized just for me. It came from one of my adored clients, Pamela Malo.

Receiving this message lit me up! And, it got me thinking, who have I not praised on paper, despite my deep gratitude?

A short list came quickly to mind: the friends who have been so helpful as I’ve been dealing with health issues; the barista who brought my favorite beverage to me, when she noticed I had gotten side-tracked talking before making it to the counter to order; the nurse at my new doctor’s office who is so kind and concerned; my trusted advisor; my mastermind buddy; the Explore & Play More members, who’ve been so patient with my slower timelines; my Unbelievable Ease clients; and a few other people who defy short descriptions.

What if Pamela’s one postcard inspires me to send out a couple of cards of praise and gratitude, which inspires those people to send out a couple of cards? Imagine the wave of praise that would flow.

Keep it simple.

If you’re inspired to get creative like Pamela, go for it! But don’t let the process keep you from doing it, or thinking that it has to be Special! Unique! Inspired!

You could simply use the app Postagram (on your iPhone, Android or from the web) and send out picture postcards expressing your gratitude and sharing praise. You’ll get free cards just for signing up, after that, they’re just $.99.

Or you could grab some of those (note or post) cards you have laying around, and keep a stack (along with stamps) wherever you enjoy your morning cup of coffee or tea. Just jot a few lines down and pop it in the mail.

Humbled by the Praise

Turns out that Pamela had been keeping a list of things I’d said in our sessions that were particularly useful to her. Some are specific to her and her situation, and may make no sense whatsoever, some are pretty universally useful. She gave me permission to share all of them with you.

Here are the ten bits of “awesomeness that came out of my mouth”:

  1. When you discount your preferences, your body-mind connection shuts down.
  2. Those things happened. They changed your life irrevocably. And, you still get to choose who you are.
  3. It’s scary to let go of the things that have given us our identity.
  4. If it’s useful, keep it. If it’s not, shift it.
  5. It’s just four fucking weeks!
  6. Grounded + uplifted
  7. As much as we like to think we can control things with our worry, it just doesn’t work that way.
  8. Calm Steady Empowered Strong
  9. The more ease with which you accept where you are, the easier you can move through it.
  10. When we are enjoying the moment it’s easier to be curious about what’s next.

Get loads more ideas on Happy Connecting.

Incidentally, I should probably send a note of thanks to the great staff at my old post office. I recently moved my PO Box (here’s the new address) and somehow the forwarding order got screwed up. Someone there took the time to handwrite and delicately tape my new address on this card and forward it to me. It took nearly three weeks to get to me, but it finally did!

Yay for people who go out of their way to do nice things!

Will you join me in being one of them? I’d love to hear your stories of sharing gratitude and praise with the people who’ve made a difference in your life. Or simply that you joined in the wave of praise. Either way, leave a comment below:

 

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