Something came to mind today – a famous quote from Nelson Mandela that reads:
It never hurts to think too highly of a person; often they become ennobled and act better because of it.
This past weekend I copied and pasted one of those emails that has been going around. I usually ignore those, but on this particular day I decided it was an interesting experiment that I wanted to participate in. The post asked my FB friends to write one word about our connection to one another, then copy and paste into their own feed.
I thought I would get a handful of responses, including the ones that said “I don’t copy and paste anything.” Fair enough.
What happened truly caught me by surprise. Sixty+ people took time to remind me of our connection to one another or something they felt about me – and the words they used lifted me up beyond what I imagined. Memories and emotions filled my feed in single words –
PRESCHOOL COUSIN WRITING
ART INSPIRATION COMMUNITY SWEETNESS
NEIGHBOR HOME DEPTH
That’s when I remembered Nelson Mandela’s quote. As you probably know, Nelson Mandela is considered the father of modern South Africa. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993, and is well-known for his belief in justice, reconciliation, human dignity, and peace. He is also a hero of mine.
I felt ennobled, a word that seems quite grand, meaning to lend dignity to something or someone. It was true. I sat up a little straighter, felt a little stronger. From those who copied and pasted the post, I received messages thanking me. They too were ennobled, filled with kindness, memory, and the effects of their own goodness to others.
At this moment in time when it is so hard to find the positive in the world, I am sending kindness to all the people in my life. By these single words in my Facebook post, I have been given a gift. And so I pass it on. It never hurts to think too highly of a person; often they become ennobled and act better because of it. Thanks, everyone !
Thanks, everyone !
