"There's nothing so rewarding as to make them realize that they are worthwhile." Bob Anderson

I chose this thought because there is so much criticism and negativity in this world. Judgmental people are constantly pulling us down, sabotaging our joyfulness, and robbing us of our self-esteem. People need to be affirmed in order to grow and flourish, and each one of us should do all that we can to let others know that they truly are worthwhile people.

Affirmation is a deposit in somebody's emotional bank account. It helps that person to respect and believe in their value as a person. It gives them strength, courage, and confidence in their capabilities. It lets them know that you have caught a glimpse of their potential - you saw something in them that no one else bothered to notice, and realized what that something could become.

Learning to listen well enables us to affirm people. When we seek first to understand, we are able to see the valuable, admirable qualities in a person. Understanding personality preferences can also help us to see beyond their "annoying" behaviors (the things that are simply unlike us, and that our paradigms say are bad) to see the wonderful contribution that they make to the world. We are then able to affirm people and make them realize that they are worthwhile.

To me, this quote means that we should do all we can to buoy each other up through love and acceptance. We are to love, listen, and care from the heart. We should take every opportunity to say, "I believe in you!" and "Your are special." We will get the reward of seeing them smile, and a warm glow from having made a difference.

This thought impacted my life by concisely putting into words what my heart believes to be of immeasurable value. The importance of being a planter of dream seeds goes far beyond what we can imagine. My mission in life is, "…helping others to dream high by genuinely caring." I have been very blessed when I have taken the time to show people (not only to tell, but also to show through actions) that they are worthwhile.