Doug Odell
Did you know that everyone has a secret superpower to make people happy? The problem is most people do not realize it, much less even use it.
What is this secret superpower? Easy- it is the power of kind words. The word kind comes in many forms. You can be kind and open the door for someone. You can be kind by being considerate. You can be kind by showing empathy and compassion. All of these and more have their own type of impact. But, to me there has always been something special about using kind words and compliments to make someone feel better.
When I was growing up I remember watching my father use compliments many times with a range of people in different settings. The impression that made on me has lasted a lifetime. Here is what I have learned.
When you give someone a compliment there really are only three ways it will be received: either it will make someone feel worse, or they may have a neutral feeling about it, or it will have a positive effect. Well, I think we can toss out the first one. And perhaps some people are indifferent. But it has been my experience that a vast majority of people, when receiving a compliment, are pretty darned happy. Maybe it will make their day, or week, or year.
Here is the catch. I believe many people have the thought of offering kind words. But, for some reason do not follow-up on it. So here is my suggestion. If you think it, do it- right on the spot and do not wait. And part of the beauty of it is it can only take as little as a few seconds to speak the words that make a difference in someone’s life. A restaurant patron may say to the waiter, “That was ususually good service and you worked hard for us. Thank you.” How long did that take to say” And are you ready for a bonus? If it is in a work setting, and an employee has done something worthy of praise, let their supervisor know. But be prepared. Because all most supervisors know is when a customer comes to them it is about a complaint.
I have kept the following reflection (author unknown) over all these years as a reminder.
“I shall pass through this world but once. Therefore, any good I can do or any kindness I can show then let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it. For I shall never pass this way again”.
Finally, there is a song about kindness called “The Moment Slipped Away” by Chrisine Lavin (worth listening to) about using kind words. One of the lines in the song really resonates: “Kind words don’t move the earth but if it can improve my self-worth, then why do I let these moments pass me by?” We are all in this thing together. Like the words of the song say, please don’t let the moment slip away. Go forth and spread the kind word. There is no better time than now.
Doug Odell is a retired physical education teacher whose nickname at Scarselli Elementary School was Coach Cardio.
