If You See Something, Say Something!

Riding on the subway today I witnessed the kindest of strangers. The doors had closed on the train but a gentleman was scrambling to get on. The conductor saw him racing and opened the door to the car nearest to him and let him on. He waved in gratitude.

The kindness of strangers is the best!

I was close enough to get a chance to approach the conductor before the train departed and told her I thought that was really nice and she was the best. Man, you should have seen her smile. She thanked me!

I felt good, she felt good and the man in a hurry most certainly felt good! It took her 15 seconds and me 20 seconds to brighten the lives of three people.

Telling people you appreciate them takes two seconds but can last a lifetime.

This got me thinking about communication, why we keep the things we think to ourselves, and how we shouldn’t. Especially the good bits.

When I was little and my Mom would get her hair done she would get mad at me if I didn’t make a comment or tell her how much I liked it. She would ask me why I didn’t say anything if I thought it looked pretty. My defense always was that I thought it but I forgot to say it.

Making the effort pay off. 

I think that’s true for a lot of us. I think we may be stingy with compliments. Not out of meanness but perhaps fear of being too pushy, or feeling that it’s inappropriate or it’s not worth the time in our busy lives, or even that it doesn’t matter.

It does matter. Like the truth matters.

I’ve never known anyone who didn’t like being appreciated. Even if someone has a hard time taking a compliment (I was guilty of that when I was younger) they still, in their hearts, love hearing it.

Everyone loves to be appreciated.

And there are side effects to telling someone you appreciate them. It opens up the door to their hearts. It bonds you together. It makes them feel good about themselves and gives you a warm connected feeling. It creates smiles, jokes, and laughter. It makes the job go better and the day goes faster. It endears you to others.

I noticed other really wonderful side effects when I would see something I appreciated and then communicate it to workers and staff in doctors’ offices, hospitals, rehab, and testing facilities. It made the whole experience nicer, faster and more pleasant. I actually made friends for life with some of the people I interacted with and got extraordinary care for my parents, loved ones and myself. It was such a small price to pay. And it made me feel good!

So the next time you see something, say something! The world will be better for it!