I had started my morning by reading the latest issue of the Glazer-Kennedy Insider’s Circle (GKIC) newsletter, which is packed full of business-building tips for entrepreneurs. When I turned to page 12, I couldn't believe what I saw.

Staring at me from the page was a copy of the hand-written thank-you note I’d sent to Bill Glazer and his team following the recent conference.


I sat there dumb-founded for a moment, pondering the reason and the implications…and thinking back to an even earlier conference.


“Thank you. You are such a positive person. You’re always saying nice things to me. Can I get you to call me every day and tell me stuff like this?”

Bill Glazer is a man who’s achieved amazing success in his career and his life. He’s a millionaire many times over and has advised thousands of entrepreneurs.

You wouldn’t think he needs regular doses of positive feedback.

But he does. We ALL do.

Several months ago I received this eloquent, unforgettable comment on one of my blog posts from my Twitter friend Wayne McEvilly, a gifted concert pianist:

“Your post brought to mind a fan letter I wrote to Dame Myra Hess, the great British pianist whose work was a service to her nation and to humanity. I told her that her music brought us closer to God. She wrote back (this astounded me since my praise was a drop in the ocean of praise she had experienced from royalty and the world at large) - She said ‘You must never think that praise such as yours is not wanted, or needed.’ Those words from 1957 still ring clear in my mind, and I remind myself never to allow sincere praise to be muted by any circumstance.”

Another example of someone who had attained worldwide recognition and success, yet still yearned to hear sincere affirmations from an admirer…

So as I gazed at the GKIC newsletter, with an entire page devoted to my note, I reflected once again on the power we have to brighten the lives of others by simply expressing gratitude and appreciation.

You never know when another human being needs to be encouraged. Every person on the planet can benefit from feeling valued, so don’t hold back when you have the opportunity to give positive feedback or offer a genuine thank-you.

Adopt this wisdom from Wayne McEvilly as your daily mantra and look for ways to positively impact the life of someone else through your words:

When you’re having a busy day, it’s not easy to tell others how much you appreciate them. Yet finding ways to value others is one of the best investments you can make to strengthen relationships. In this video I explain the payoffs for taking time to speak positive words to the people you care about.



What simple habits can you adopt for showing your appreciation to others on a daily basis?

"Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others." - Marcus Tullius Cicero, Roman orator

“When something does not insist on being noticed, when we aren't grabbed by the collar or struck on the skull by a presence or an event, we take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.” - Cynthia Ozick, American novelist

"Silent gratitude isn't very much use to anyone." - Gertrude Stein, American novelist

“Change your life by consciously choosing to be in a state of gratitude.” – Wayne Dyer, American author

“Gratitude is the heart's memory.” - French Proverb

If you’re like many people, you rarely hear praise about the things you do well. Yet the desire for positive feedback is a deep need of every human being. Learning to focus on the positive and give people genuine, specific feedback will strengthen your relationships in ways you never imagined.



What will you do in the future to give yourself and others positive feedback throughout the day?

“The compliment that helps us on our way is not the one that is shut up in the mind, but the one that is spoken out.” - Mark Twain, American novelist

“Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.” - James Barrie, Scottish novelist

“Silent gratitude isn't very much use to anyone." - Gertrude Stein, American novelist

“Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.” - Mother Teresa, Indian humanitarian

In the course of a typical day, we encounter a lot of people – at home, at work, and everywhere in between. And during those instances, we have many opportunities to compliment, thank or praise someone, yet we don’t. We could say things like:

“Thanks for the detailed attention you gave to completing that report. You covered all the bases really well.”
 
“I appreciate your being on time since we have a lot of material to cover.”
 
“I love the way that shirt brings out the color of your eyes.”
 
“That was a fantastic dinner. Thank you for the time you spent fixing it. I enjoyed every morsel!”

Ever thought about why we withhold positive words when it would cost us nothing to give them? I have.

Here are some of my conclusions.

First, we get busy. We’re moving fast and we don’t take time to notice, much less comment on, the good someone else has done or the value they’ve added to our lives.

And, we’re pre-occupied with ourselves. Most people think about themselves most of the time. Even when we're with those we profess to hold dear, we’re usually reflecting on our own problems, plans and priorities.

Both of these instances can be corrected by simply slowing down and focusing our attention outside ourselves so we're more observant. Then it’s easy to find opportunities to give positive feedback.

The last one is trickier because it’s a reflection of our self-esteem.

At times we consciously withhold praise because we think we’ll appear inferior in some way if we pay someone else a compliment. We have a twisted view that somehow, saying positive words to another takes away from our own self-worth. But the reality is, the opposite is true.

The more you give positive feedback to others, the better you’ll feel about yourself. Your own life is enriched when you are generous with compliments, provided they are heart-felt. The simple act of expressing gratitude and appreciation adds to your own happiness.

So don’t wait. Start today to find something positive to say to every person you interact with. You’ll make your world a better place because you'll be enriching the lives of the people in it, including your own.