If you know me you know that I like helping others, and encouraging others! So getting the specific assignment to encourage three people for a job well done was beyond simple for me.(as it is something I already do regularly)
The first two people that I encouraged were my close friends, the Tuohys. Fairly simple interaction:
-They tell me about their day at work
-I compliment them for their initiative/job well done/mad skills in a particular circumstance
-They say 'Thanks!'
-We both feel good and move on with our lives
The last person I encouraged was my wife. This was a different experience. Not because my wife isn't wonderful in every way, but because she can sometimes be a downer, especially on herself and her accomplishments.
We are very similar in that way.
So the exchange goes a little more like this:
-She tells me about her day at home (she is super pregnant and stays at home now)
-I compliment her for what she got done, and try to point out some positives in her self-described failures and shortcomings.
-She refutes them and feels worse
-I rebuttal
-She refuses again
-This repeats a number of times
-I hug her, because this is far more powerful than words
-She feels slightly better about the situation
-We both feel emotionally exhausted and move on with our lives
This, more than showing me the importance of giving praise and compliments, has shown me the importance of being humble, accepting compliments, and striving to have a positive outlook on life.
While I do love my wife very much, it can be exhausting for both of us to try and keep her afloat in positivity ESPECIALLY while she has all of her pregnancy hormones firing. But it is a labor of love, and I am glad to do it, so long as I get to make her happier.
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