We humans are generally (usually) pretty adept at masking what’s really going on in our lives. This is especially true in the online world where we can’t see facial expressions or hear someone’s tone of voice. It’s easy enough for a person to share a really cute Facebook picture while crying. It’s really easy to pay someone a compliment on Twitter while you’re feeling really angry offline. You just never can be sure what a person is really thinking or really feeling. It’s like that meme going around showing a picture of a cat lounging by the computer. “Online, no one knows you’re cat.” So true.
Because we’re so darned good at keeping things to ourselves, people seldom, if ever, know when we could really use one kind word. But you get to those points, don’t you, where you feel like you’re in a desert and one nice word would seem like one big gulp of fresh water. It takes so little effort to send out a kind word (again, especially online). You can do it in 5 seconds.
So, I want to send out a challenge this Friday. Instead of doing “Follow Friday” on Twitter, or instead of just going through your daily grind as you always do, see if you can send one kind word or one kind thought to ten people. They can be anyone – people you work with, people in your family, Facebook friends, people you see on Twitter – whatever.
That’s not the end of your assignment, however. It’s easier for US to give out kinds words for other people than it is for us to say something nice about ourselves. We tend to shake off compliments, don’t we? A lot of us do. I know because I try to compliment people and get shrugged off. So, after you’ve sent out kindness to ten people, come back here and tell me something great about YOU. Yes, I want you to toot your own horn. I want you to brag a little. I want you to say about yourself what you keep wishing someone else would say about you. Even if you just say, “In doing this experiment I really made someone’s day today,” that’s great.
So, go forth, my fine readers. Be kind ten times and once for yourself.
I can’t wait to hear about your adventures!
Image Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/granthassomepics/3773289628/ via Creative Commons
Sent messages to ten Facebook friends… one responded that she had been feeling down on herself and the message made her day; that made mine. What’s been making me feel good lately is working in my Judaica art business: http://www.hebrica.com … 30 years in marketing has left me a little (ahem) jaded, so it’s nice to have a more positive pursuit.
@Kim Phillips That’s great, Kim! That’s just what I was hoping would happen! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Marketing does have a way of making us jaded, doesn’t it? 🙂
@Kim Phillips Just looked at your website. I LOVE your artwork. It’s gorgeous. I’m going to talk to my 12 year old little artist about whether she’d be interested in your ebook.
@mantywebdesigns Cool! Papercutting is very accessible as an art form. I usually recommend that kids under 15 use scissors rather than a knife, but moms know best. ;0)
I haven’t had time to do this yet, but it seems like as good a time as any to let you know that I really like the new direction of your blog. The length of the posts is great and every day you give me some little nugget that gets my brain thinking. So I guess my first nice word goes to you. Nine more to go, and then I’ll come back and try to give you one for me.
@DanielleSherman Aw thanks so much, Danielle! Now see, that makes MY day 🙂
ok, now the hard part! Ah…..I have a knack for seeing to the heart of the matter and helping people work through the real issue, even when it’s not what they think it is. *whew*
@Lynoth That is a great skill and one to be proud of!
Ok Margie I completed your assignment and I think it is a good one. I think one of my outstanding qualities is that I am very approachable, you can talk to me about just about anything and I will listen, and keep the conversation in confidence, if that is desired, and I always to my best to be considerate of others and helpful as well.
What about you Margie…what would you say are some of your best traits?
@Fierce_living Awesome!
Me? I’m a good listener and I’m funny as hell 🙂
I am truly wonderful, people really like me………………yikes……………
I guess I should have read this before I dropped the waaaaambulance reference on FB, huh?
Ice on the bottom of your foot is pretty dicey when you first strap it down, but it numbs up pretty quick if you don’t get brain freeze of the foot while you are trying to get there…………but it really does work………….
@bdorman264 It’s all good 🙂 I did successfully ice for 20 minutes. You should be VERY proud of me!!