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"Said the poet Maya Angelou, "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."
In his bestselling book The Power of Intention, Wayne Dyer writes about the effect of kindness on the human body. Scientists who studied the brain activity of individuals as they performed an act of kindness for another found increased levels of serotonin, the chemical the brain produces to make you feel good and the common ingredient in antidepressant medication. That wasn't all they found. In those receiving the acts of kindness, researchers recorded the same amount of serotonin as that found in those giving the service. It was further determined that even those observing the acts of kindness produced the same amount of serotonin.
Inspiring environments are contagious. Few things feel more blissful that emerging from cold into warmth. When we inspire and praise others, it is as if we are bringing them out of the cold and wrapping them in a warm "garment of praise."
There is a scene indelibly imprinted on my mind. I was bicycling late one night through Doheny State Park, a stretch of beach of the Pacific with picnic benches and fire pits. At one of these sites a family was gathered to celebrate the birthday of a young boy. A roaring fire lit up the faces of a dozen or so family members as they stood in a circle. In the center of them was a birthday cake emblazoned with candles. They my gaze fell to the focal point of everyone's attention and admiration: the birthday boy. His face was aglow, lit up like the candles on his cake and the embers burning in the bonfire. There was no mistaking that look. It was one of pure, unadulterated joy and affirmation. I kept looking back as I pedaled away, my own heart warmed as if I were around that fire myself and part of that birthday celebration.
The word "praise" comes from the Old French "preiser" which means price or value. When we praise others, we add value to them, to their lives, to their dreams. We attach a high price to their efforts and purpose. "
I kept thinking of this part of the book as I was making little gifts for my coworkers today. Few things make me as joyful as giving gifts - whether those gifts are handmade, a random act of kindness, words of sincere encouragement, making someone laugh (such a gift for the soul!) or something I just knew a friend would love. Praying that you, dear readers, would be blessed by giving and receiving kindness this week.
