More than a decade ago, I was one of many writers at a Minneapolis catalog company. One of the art directors there, an older fellow, was a bit quirky and not very social. One day, I called out to him as he passed by my cubicle. I had just been paired with him on an assignment for the first time and I had been impressed with his work ethic. When he stopped and turned toward me, I said, “Jim, I just wanted to say I appreciate your conscientiousness. I enjoyed working with you because you weren’t satisfied until everything was as perfect as you could make it.”
For a moment, he was silent. When he had regained his composure, he thanked me and said that his father had taught him to always give his very best effort. I got the impression that no one had ever complimented him quite like that before and that my two simple sentences carried more weight than I could imagine.
Let’s turn the tables. How would you feel if someone took ten seconds to praise you for a job well done or for handling a difficult situation or for simply being a good parent, sibling or friend? I’d wager that a genuine, heartfelt compliment like that would probably stay with you a good long time.
Well, guess what? You have the opportunity to give others that gift every single day. I bet you can think of at least a handful of people who deserve a drive-by praising. So go ahead, make someone’s day. You just might discover that making their day makes your day, too!
ABOUT PHIL BOLSTA
Phil is the author of Sixty Seconds: One Moment Changes Everything, a collection of 45 inspiring, life-changing stories from prominent people he interviewed, including Joan Borysenko, Deepak Chopra, geneticist Dr. Francis Collins, acclaimed sportswriter Frank Deford, Dr. Larry Dossey, Wayne Dyer, Dan Millman, Caroline Myss, Dr. Christiane Northrup, Dr. Dean Ornish, Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen, Dr. Bernie Siegel, James Van Praagh, singer Billy Vera, Doreen Virtue, Neale Donald Walsch, and bassist Victor Wooten.
Here is a three-minute video that introduces you to Phil and his book.
Reading this book is like spending a few minutes face to face with each of the contributors and listening to their personal stories. Click here to read unsolicited testimonials from readers. Learn more by visiting the official Sixty Seconds website.
Sixty Seconds was one of three finalists in the General Interest/How-To category at the 12th annual Visionary Awards presented by COVR (Coalition of Visionary Resources) in Denver on June 27, 2009.
July 8, 2009 at 8:19 AM
You’re right, Phil. Opportunities for acknowledging someone’s competence, mastery, kindness, etc. are present each and every day. I make this practice a regular part of my life. What was great about your statement to that fellow was that it wasn’t a compliment – it was an actual acknowledgment specifically stating what you admired about his work. That is much more powerful than a compliment.
July 8, 2009 at 8:47 AM
Well said, Kate. I hadn’t thought of it that way.