It is planting time.
The bad seeds of hatred, distrust, deception, violence are mushrooming all about us. They are ever present in our lives, in what we talk about, what we worry about. They influence the choices we make, our psychological health, our sense of life. Our country's news media feed off them by feeding them to us in a continuous streaming deluge.
It is time to counter and assuage the poisonous effects of the bad seeds with a fertile harvest of healthy goodness. And the quickest, easiest and most expeditious way of doing that is on the tip of my tongue, and the tip of yours: the compliment.
Plant a seed of goodness by complimenting someone you don't normally do, or compliment someone you normally do in a way you normally don't. The personal, beneath the surface, compliment, or praise, is best.
"There is a mystery about you that is so interesting."
"You always make me feel good about myself."
"You are one of a kind."
Plant one good seed today, one tomorrow, one every day. Then double the harvest. Plant two each day. You have an endless supply, they cost nothing to plant, and take but a moment to do so...but their fruit is sweet and enduring and priceless.
It is planting time.
Praise is the best diet for us, after all. Sydney Smith
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