A Catch and a Compliment
and a lesson in encouragement
“Talking doesn't mean you have said something. What really matters is the message your words carry, not the sound, but the positive reverberation it causes on the soul.” ~ Michael Bassey Johnson
A Facebook memory popped up the other day and it reminded me of something.
The power of positive words.
Here’s the memory from 15 years ago:
“This afternoon I was playing catch with Michael and giving him encouraging words as he tried (and mostly succeeded) catching and throwing a football.
Children easily display their emotions and you could see him beaming as my compliments flowed...I thought later, why as adults do we find complimenting each other such a challenge? It is so easy to do and it yields many benefits for both those that give and those that receive....”
Kind words and sincere compliments…
It seems like such a simple observation and yet think to yourself, how do you react when someone gives you a compliment or encourages you?
Do you find yourself believing the words or do you find ways to doubt those compliments?
The reality is we live in a world where comments can be easily left online and many seem to take “the low road” instead of the encouraging one.
I am not suggesting that you fill your day with pollyanna fluff moments but instead really focus on what you say and how you say it.
Building up others should be our goal each day in life because, let's face it, life has many challenging situations and what makes you feel capable of facing those challenges is often the belief someone else planted in you first.
A kind word, a genuine compliment, a moment of encouragement — these cost nothing, yet they can change everything.
So today, be the voice that lifts someone up. You may never know just how much they needed to hear it.
For information about why I started this newsletter, please go to the about section.
The word is…
In honor of my dear friend and mentor, Sister Agnes, I am choosing to focus each issue of my newsletter on one word.
This time our word is Encouragement.
“It's amazing what a little encouragement can do.” - Winnie Harlow
When can we encourage others and how can we do more of it?
Tranquil Moments…
I asked my niece, Jennifer Malphy, if she could share some of her nature photos with my newsletter audience. Each week I will feature a new photo. Here is this week’s:
This week’s Smile video
One of my all-time favorite “smile” videos…When 13-year-old Gavin Mabes and some friends went to a skate park, nobody was there except Carter Bruynell, who was celebrating his 5th birthday with his mom. That's when something unexpected happened. Steve Hartman has their story on the road.
#spreadkindness #smilevideos
What I am reading…
This week I am enjoying Jan Richardson’s How The Stars Get In Your Bones: A Book of Blessings. Here is the Amazon description: “With poetic honesty, How the Stars Get in Your Bones turns toward the hard things that each of us knows: the grief, loss, fear, and weariness that we live with. In her distinctive style, Richardson invites us to perceive what makes its home here, too: the joy, solace, grace, and, most of all, the love that moves through it all, illuminating and transforming what seems most hidden or hopeless.
“A blessing has the ability to enter into our pain,” Richardson writes in the opening pages, “not to dismiss or gloss over it but to name it, and to name also the love that connects us and holds us: the love that is continually working for our wholeheartedness.”
What I am watching…
I love watching PBS and I have discovered a new series to enjoy. Now, more than ever, storytelling helps us appreciate our differences while reminding us of the humanity that unites us. Season 9 of Stories from the Stage features all new storytellers sharing a catalogue of the human experience: their best memories, deepest fears, most vulnerable moments, and so much more.
Mind/Body connections…
This guided mindfulness meditation is for healing the mind, body, and soul. Enjoy!
Comedy Lift…
I love to share funny cartoons or memes with friends and family. Who doesn’t need to smile? Here’s this week’s Comedy Lift…
Music Moments
Music inspires me in many ways. Here’s John Denver singing Take Me Home, Country Roads….Enjoy!
Quote of the week
Until next week. Please remember…Begin and end each day with a grateful heart…and always, always be kind….
The Kindness Boomerang newsletter is a 2025 recipient of the Sunshine Blogger Award.