Save it for the kudos file

Seriously.

When someone gives you the literary high-five, save it. Whether it comes by e-mail, a thank-you card, or letterhead, create that kudos file today and save all those good vibes that come your way.

Why?

There will be days when you feel like nothing is going right, like no one appreciates you, as if the world is crashing down on your head. That's when you'll need this file. You'll refer to it for the metaphorical pat on the back we all need from time to time. It'll be the reminder you need to pull you back into reality...Someone does love you. Someone does appreciate you. Someone does know your value. And that someone is not just you.

Why this post today? I just picked up a copy of a book that was given to me by a colleague. I was taking her keynote workshop class, and we cliqued. So she gave me a copy of her book, Outsmart Your Brain! And inside the cover, she wrote, "Jackie, choose to laugh and share...it's your gift." What a great testament from a woman I'd only gotten to know that weekend! It's the few words like those that remind us all of our value. On the days when we've forgotten that--and those days will come, even for the most confident--our kudos file will be something we can turn to for the uplift when we need it.

So dig out all the testaments you've received, hold onto the past thank-yous and any forthcoming ones, save whatever kinds words in print you recieve. Put them all in one file and label it your "Kudos File." From here on out, this will be your reminder of who you are when you're at your very best.

Isn't that something to appreciate?

~Jackie