It’s that time of day again. After an hour of local and national bad news, for the final 60 seconds, they share some good news. They might call it America Strong, or Person of the Week, something like that. Sixty seconds of good news vs. fifty-nine minutes of bad news.
However, is there that much bad news in the world? Is there that much bad news in your day? Some days you’d say yes, fortunately, most days your answer would be no. Don’t get me wrong; we all have bad days that are difficult and draining. However, did anything good happen? More than you know, more than we realize. Perhaps that’s because we tend to watch for what’s wrong in the world instead of what’s right. We see the flaws in others more than the good or great.
Aren’t there more things right about you than wrong? Isn’t that true for most people? Absolutely!
Sure we all have faults, flaws, and failures in our lives. That’s what happened to you, not who you are. You’re not flawed or a failure. Not by a long shot.
What’s right about you? What good do you do every day that goes unnoticed or forgotten? You take care of your family, work hard to do your best at your job, didn’t cause any accidents going to and from work, held the door open for the lady at the store, waved to the little boy in the shopping cart, laughed at your little girl’s silly joke, greeted your neighbor, walked and cleaned up after your dog, checked on your friend who is sick, took out the garbage, paid your bills, and kissed your wife.
You didn’t hurt anyone, didn’t cause any accidents or road rage, didn’t’ created drama a work, didn’t throw any toasters at home, didn’t kick the cat or dog, didn’t forget to tell your wife and children that you loved them before going to sleep.
This is what’s right about you and billions of other men and women all across the globe. Daily doing what’s right consistently in the little things. Perhaps unnoticed and unrewarded, but dutifully done making the world a more right than wrong every day.
So what would happen if looked for and appreciated “What’s right” about others instead of what’s wrong? How would that change your relationships and outlook on life? Pretty dramatically, for sure. Give it a try this week. Here’s how;
Every day you have an opportunity to express heartfelt intimacy by intentionally watching or looking for the good, great, and wonderful in your family, friends, and loved ones. This requires purposely developing a mindset of asking “what’s right about you” instead of what’s wrong. By focusing on what’s good, great, or wonderful, and then acknowledging these qualities, you become inspirational, more intimate, more influential, and an encouragement to your family, friends, and loved ones.
Three ways of doing this are by expressing your appreciation, admiration, and amazement to loved ones. Here are a few examples:
Appreciation:
- Thank you for diligently keeping our finances and household budget in order.
- Thank you for running those errands for me; you made my day less challenging.
- I know things have been hectic around here lately, thank you for being so flexible.
Admiration:
- I admire how patient you were with that client; he can be quite challenging to deal with.
- I know you put a lot of hard work into this project, don’t think that it’s gone unnoticed.
- Just in case you’ve forgotten, you are an awesome mother!
Amazement:
- Wow, I never realized how good you are, you are really gifted in that area.
- Fantastic job! You exceeded everyone’s expectation, including mine.
- I hope when I have the opportunity to lead the team, I can do as well as you.
Purposefully Communicating to Your Loved Ones: “What’s Right About You”.
Begin by finishing the sentences below. Be creative by using a combination of words, pictures, songs, video, events, gifts, or actions that express how much you admire, appreciate and are amazed by your loved ones.
The four things I admire about are…
The four things that I appreciate about you are…
The four things you do that amaze me are…
Try doing this consistently for a least a month and see if it doesn’t make a difference in how you see others.
Moreover, the difference you begin to see in yourself. Please share your experiences both good and those that weren’t so good in the comment section of my blog. I’d love to hear what happened. Be reminded the next time you watch the evening news; there is a lot more good going on in the world than we realize. Let’s look for it, take time to appreciate it, thereby making the world a little brighter for your family, friends, and loved ones.
I hope today’s blog encouraged and blessed your day. Don’t forget to sign up to receive blogs posted on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Additional resources, like this blog, from TransformingFamilies.org, have been developed to guide you through the restoration process of developing your heart, mind, and strength, enabling you to become the man or woman God created you to be.
I also provide one-on-one coaching; if you want to improve your relationships, let’s connect through e-mail at ‘rturner@transformingfamilies.org’. My hope for you is that God will transform you from being bruised or broken to an abundantly blessed child of God through these blogs, references, and resources.
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