Well Done.

There are always plenty of apples in my home of differing varieties, Pnk Ladys', Gala, Cox, Granny Smiths and so the list goes on. I pop an apple into my pocket as the last thing I do before going out on my morning walk. At the halfway stage of the walk I treat myself to my apple, my reward for the first half and my praise to keep me going for the more difficult second half when there is a chance that the pain in my foot will return. 

I caught the end of the awards for the sporting awards for the year that lies behind us. How good it was to see a sportsman given the praise he duly deserved for the achievement made in the greulling sport of cycling, where the athlete can cycle hundreds of miles a day in pursuit of the prize, He very humbly said that this would encourage him to greater things. 

Everyone needs recognition for their accomplishments, but few people make the need known quite as clearly as the little boy who said to his father: "Let's play darts. I'll throw and you say "Wonderful!'" 

Here was a certain case that it was not all about winning but taking part and being made to feel good for what had been achieved.

A compliment can be a great motivator, particularly if you put a little thought into the why, when, and how of delivering it. 

I always made sure to comment whenever  a student keept working in the face of obviously difficult situations, how often that little praise was enough for the student to go onto better things. Given at the point of success praise can do so much. In my drawer I had a little bundle of yellow praise slips on which I wrote a little personal note that could be shared with family and friends at a later date reinforcing the praise of the moment. 

But a note of caution praise is always something of great worth but it does not always require the ticker tape and glitter ball to be deep and meaningful on many ocassions a quiete word will suffice.

My father once told me that there are two kinds of people, those who do the work and those who take the praise. He told me to try to be in the first group, there was less competition there. Praise should always be a meaningful reward for something well done and not because it has been sought.

At this season of greetings and goodwill a word of praise does not go amiss.

Have a great day.