...gratitude

I run into a lot of cynics. 

The nicer ones commend me for my good intentions, but they all have one common question: "Do you really think your little 90-second talks about ethics and character make any difference?" 

Their message: 

You're wasting your time. People are what they are, and nothing you say will make them change.

Do I feel like Don Quixote tilting at windmills? 

A salmon swimming upstream? 

A voice in the wilderness?

To be honest, sometimes I do wonder whether it's worth the effort. 

But then I'll receive a letter from someone who says he or she found something I said very valuable, and I get re-energized.

A good example is a letter I once received from a 13-year-old named Calvin. He thanked me for being a positive influence in his life, saying my commentaries stimulated him to become kinder and less egotistical. He told me they were better than vitamins.

My point isn't to congratulate myself for making a difference in Calvin's life; rather it's to thank him for making a difference in mine.

It's been said that unexpressed gratitude is like wrapping a present and failing to give it to the person you got it for.

Don't underestimate the impact you can have when you take the time to make someone feel valued and valuable. Everyone—children, parents, teachers, bosses, coworkers, even people you don't know—crave confirmation of their worth.

If you want to make a difference in the lives of others, give compliments, express gratitude, and write notes whenever you can.

No act of appreciation is ever wasted.

-character counts