Daily Inspiration 5-12-18

"I have yet to find the man, 

however, exalted his station, 

who did not do better work 

and put forth greater effort 

under a spirit of approval 

than under a spirit of criticism."

-- Charles M Schwab

"Nothing else can quite substitute for a few well-chosen,

well-timed, sincere words of praise.

They're absolutely free and worth a fortune."

-- Sam Walton

[Classic post from 2-4-10]

Yes! This is one of my favorite inspirational messages because it is so powerful and so true--and so personal.

In my life, I have achieved things that I started out to do, but none so well, so easily and so eagerly as those where I received encouraging words. It makes me want to double my efforts and hear some more encouragement until I get to be really, really good at it.

Sometimes we might be in a place where we have a lot of experience at doing a thing and then someone under us is missing the mark and we feel that we must point that out. It just irks me when I have to do that and I avoid it like the plague. I would rather find things to compliment and ways to encourage because I know full well that those acts will not only feel great to them but spur them on as never before. Criticism in any form is like taking Cod Liver Oil without holding your nose. Yuck! And, yes, that even means a constructive criticism, as if there could be such a thing.

I will never forget how I became a songwriter. It was only through the encouragement of one person. And, the songs and recordings were not very good. Matter of fact, they were terrible, but I got better with practice, then better some more. That only happened because of the encouragement. I couldn't wait to get home, write and record another song, then play it for that person. It was a thrill. Later on, I was strong enough to encourage myself through the process, along with positive feedback from others.

To me, having someone to help you with encouragement is how you get better at something. Like work. Want a salesperson to excel? Encourage them to the hilt. Compliment them often and lavishly. Find things they are doing to reward them for. Look for what is right, not what is wrong. That goes for any employee or coworker.

Try this: For a week, look for ways to compliment co-workers or employees and encourage them in what they do. Tell them how important what they do is and how much it is appreciated. Tell them how nice they look, or other exterior compliments. Watch what happens.

I predict you will be duly impressed with your skills.


Where Always Is Heard, An Encouraging Word. . . Oh, What A World That Would Be. . .

Spread Some Joy Today--Know that you have the power to positively influence every single person you touch. Ain't it grand!