November  2007

Timely Tip # 44

2, 4, 6, 8—Who do you appreciate?
Can you-

• Name the 5 wealthiest people in the world.

• Name the last 5 Heisman trophy winners.

• Name the last 5 people who have won the Nobel Prize.

How did you do? With the exception of some trivia buffs, few of us remember all the headliners of yesterday very well. Surprising how quickly we forget, isn't it? And those awards are no second-rate achievements. These are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements fade or are replaced with newer efforts.

Now-

• Think of 5 people you enjoy spending time with.

• Name 5 people who have taught you something worthwhile.

• Name 5 friends who have helped you in a difficult time.

Often the people who make a difference on a daily basis are not in Oslo receiving awards; they are next door performing ordinary tasks. Why not take five minutes now to send them a note just to say you are thinking of them? Remember this quote from William Arthur Ward: “Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.”

Adapted from the 5 + 5 Program at the Iowa Department of Health.