The Power of the Good Word: Plant the seeds of kindness and watch the garden grow

The power of a good word can breathe life into the person who receives it. We never know what flights people travel. Kindness can be offered free of charge. We can all give it to everyone who crosses our path. And why not do it? A good word is useful not only for the recipient, but also for the giver. It is not customary to respond with a harsh word to a person who offers kindness. In fact, he responds with a smile or a word of encouragement. Both people's spirits rise, and the multiplier effect will begin to occur.

The garden

Good hearts are gardens, good ideas are roots, good words are flowers, and good deeds are fruits." – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Once the garden (heart) is plowed and when it becomes soft, then you start with the idea. We can be alert to see who is crossing our path and give each of them a flower (a good word). Whenever you speak in this way, the fruits (actions) are bound to come to you.

We have opportunities everywhere

I remember going to the grocery store shortly after we suffered a loss in our family. I felt like there were lumps of ash chained to my feet. My whole body was burdened with sadness. I was in the middle of the store wondering how I would be able to accomplish the huge task of buying a loaf of bread. I started looking at all the other shoppers around me. Is there anyone else who is going through a difficult time right now? I thought I couldn't be the only one. There were hundreds of people in the store, hundreds of stories. It made me more aware of those who have been with me ever since.

Encourage

I recently helped a client publish their book. I've been really struggling with the cover it was something new to me. My lack of confidence was trying hard to convince me to quit. But I watched videos, looked for notes about the process and finally found out. When I finally told the man and his wife that I had done it, the man texted me and said, "I knew you could do it. Good job!" and then his wife texted me saying, "We are so proud of you! I made it, and I did!" I cried. Those were words I wasn't used to hearing. Their kind words built me up and my spirits rose when I had approached rock bottom my self-confidence was restored I felt like I had something to offer them.

Pure compliments

My four-year-old grandson was smiling at everyone one day when we were in town. In every store we went to, he would approach a woman and praise her, saying, "I love your beautiful hair!" and he said to another, "I love your beautiful shirt!" You can say that their whole day was better when they were told they were beautiful. Our next stop was lunch. We entered and were waiting in line. Behind us was a tall, burly man, wearing a band over his head and keeping his long hair away from his face. He had a thick beard and mustache, and I assumed his motorcycle was in the parking lot. My two older grandsons are starting to get bored. But my little grandson turned around and stared at the man behind us. Lord, I prayed silently, please don't let him tell this man that he loves his beautiful hair. Waited. My grandson fearlessly said, "I love your beard." Although the smile was buried in the fur, I could see the twinkle in the man's eyes when he nodded and said, "Well, thank you.

Yesterday (Sunday morning), I spoke here in Phoenix, Arizona about the relationship between simplicity and self-control. I spoke several times and the day was long. As a result, I didn't necessarily want to get up early on Monday to go to the gym but something a friend told me kept echoing in my mind.

"Wow, you look fit," his comment to me was almost fleeting. It was a short sentence. And I quickly changed the subject. But still said so. He noticed that I was working on my physical health. I noticed that he noticed. He later added more context to his statement, "I just saw you three weeks ago – everything you do has to work." In fact, I didn't feel its full impact until the next morning. You see, when I arrived this morning at the gym for my usual workouts, I felt physically tired from the weekend. But I was mentally driven by my friend's kind words. In fact, every time I wanted to cheat on an exercise or cut a corner, my friend's words came to mind. "You look fit. " Everything you do must work." His words motivated me - almost 24 hours after they were first uttered. I kept thinking: "This is worth it. My hard work pays off... Don't quit now. Keep pushing (and pulling, lifting and stretching). Do not cut this corner. Work seriously. You can do it." and she did. Because of four words from a friend.

Please do not forget today that a good word can give strength to someone's life. It can inspire. It can spur. It can provide power to someone who cannot find it within themselves. People need your flowers. This world is difficult. We know that being nice is the best way to do that. Let's make this world a beautiful park!