Giving praise

I've been thinking about this for a few days now.

The euphoric feeling we get when someone praises you is like nothing else. Well, ok, there are other euphoric activities. But my parents read this. So I won't go there.

What I want to talk about is the simple act of telling someone thank you for a job well done. It doesn't happen often enough. Not in my world anyway.

Why is this?

Why don't we praise each other more often?

It doesn't cost anything and it only takes a minute.

Are we too busy to thank the people we come in contact with? I'm not talking about "hey, thanks for the change" to the person that makes your coffee everyday. I'm talking about really thanking someone.

Are we so caught up in our own lives and happiness that we forget to thank those around us?

I think we might be.

I got two unsolicited praises recently and it made me so happy I couldn't wait to tell someone.

The first was from a customer at our store. She called me last Wednesday after we delivered furniture to her. I wasn't there for the delivery, which is how it is most of the time, so I didn't know if she liked everything. I inspected the chairs and cushion before it left the showroom. I knew it was perfect. But I didn't know if it was going to meet her expectations. It's one thing to look at a small swatch of fabric. It's another thing to see it all done.

She was so pleased she had to call and thank me. She wanted to make sure I knew how happy she and her husband were and how impressed they were with the craftsmanship. I could feel my face get flush as I was on the phone with her. She was gushing. It meant a lot to me. A lot.  This teeny bit of acknowledgement made all the hard work, stress, and worry worth it.

She didn't have the biggest job or budget and her project wasn't complicated. She didn't have to call. But I'm so glad she did.

Then on Friday the CEO of the company I'm freelancing for sent an email praising the department I'm in for a job well done. He's noticed what we've been doing and is thrilled with the result. WOW. Again, I was floored.

Now don't get me wrong. It's not like no one ever says thank you to me. They do. The difference is these were both really specific and unsolicited which is what made them so awsome.

And then I wondered, do I thank others enough? I'm quick to tell you when I'm not happy. But do I tell you when I am happy? I don't think I do as often as I should.

We shouldn't live in a world where no news is good news.

So, dear readers, you're like family to me. I'd like to thank you for hanging in there with me while I discover myself and figure out what to do with my life. I love that you're here for me in good times and bad. I appreciate you taking time out of your busy day to read my silly words. It means a lot to me. Way more than you know.

You make me smile and you make me happy.

I'm going to send an email to Elli's teacher letting her know how much Elli is enjoying her class. Elli is having a great year so far. I really need to thank her. I bet she doesn't get enough thank you's either.