Friday, January 7, 2022

The Power of Praise

I recently read that the Grammys, the Golden Globes and Annual Academy Award shows won’t be televised this year, probably won’t even be streamed due, in part, to the Omicron pandemic but also due to a lack of interest by viewing audiences.  Were those shows more for the viewing audience or, more likely, for the performers being honored?

What a show!  An auditorium filled with world famous actors, actresses, directors, and other professionals—people that we’d say “have it all.”  Yet, they were all gathered there hoping for the one thing that their money and fame can’t buy:  The recognition of their achievements by their peers.

British philosopher Samuel Johnson once said, “Life affords no higher pleasure than that of surmounting difficulties, passing from one step of success to another, forming new wishes and seeing them gratified.”  And, in this way, we are all alittle like Denzel Washington, Hallie Berry, or Ron Howard:  We all want the pleasure of seeing our achievements recognized. 

In healthcare, like most of life’s pursuits, its easy to focus on the negatives, what went wrong, what didn’t meet our expectations.  Yet daily, there are literally hundreds of opportunities to recognize and applaud what is positive, what went right, and those around us who met and exceeded our expectations.  Look around.  Catch someone being good.  Give someone that pat on the back they deserve.  Say “thanks.”  Let someone experience that same thrill that everyone at those award shows are hoping for: The recognition of their achievements by their peers.  Because life is a self-fulfilling prophecy:  Expect the success and you’ll get success.

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