The connection between words & actions...

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”

~ John F. Kennedy

I must confess, I began the day feeling a bit uninspired. I had a few days off last week which was a nice change of pace from the norm but it also served to remind me that I am in need of some creative inspiration - particularly in regards to my job. Let's just say that I was NOT excited about getting up and getting back to the daily grind today. However, at about 11am, this quote arrived in my mailbox from Foundation for a Better Life and it made me pause and think.

So often we talk (sometimes ad nauseum!) about our beliefs, or the people that are important to us, or the things that matter to us or the goals we want to accomplish without action that follows through.

Kennedy's words have significant meaning - probably more than I am even addressing. But, to me, it is saying that we should think a bit more about the things that we say - the words we put out there in the universe - so that we can be sure that we will follow through with our actions. I also think that the gratitude and highest appreciation he refers to is about ourselves as much as others. In other words, the more we work to be true to our own words, the more respect we are showing ourselves.

As I thought about Kennedy's quote throughout the day, it made me think of two things:

1. My boyfriend is amazing at consistently doing little things to let me know that he loves, respects and appreciates me. He is somehow able to always know which nights I need frozen yogurt to unwind and he stops without me even mentioning it. He always knows when I am feeling a bit unappreciated or insecure about other aspects of life (friends, work, family, etc.) and he finds a way to make me feel like I am a princess. He knows when I need a listening ear or a big hug. He is very thoughtful with his words but consistently backs them up with actions. Even more impressive, he isn't just that way with me -- he does it for friends, coworkers, family members, etc. It is just him - he is genuine and as a result his actions reflect what he says.

2. I teach a program called Challenge to 5th graders which addresses peer pressure and self-esteem. Today's lesson was somewhat fittingly the final lesson in which the kids participate in an "Agree? Disagree?"lesson about being comfortable sharing your opinions - even if you are the only one who thinks that "High School Musical" is the best movie ever. The kids pretty much always impress me with their responses but today when I asked the question: "Why do we do this lesson?" one girl answered, "Because you want us to feel comfortable being true to ourselves and sharing our opinions and you want us to know that we have a voice, even if not everyone is listening." I thought this was impressive for a 5th grader but I also realized how true it is - people aren't always going to listen - even the people who matter the most to us - so, we need to make sure that we truly hear ourselves and do things with our lives that reflect who we really are.

Kennedy's quote -- and my student's response -- reminded me to be genuine to myself and to others. If I tell a friend they are important to me, I should also make time for the lunch or dinner that they have suggested. If I truly want to be a writer, I should keep up with this blog and keep putting words out there. If I need a hot bath and a good book for some relaxation time and I can articulate that request to myself, I should follow through by giving my soul what it needs for some downtime.

Hopefully this blog will serve as a reminder to me to be more vigilant about the connection between my words and actions. Hopefully it also helps serve as encouragement to make sure you are being true to yourselves as well - in your words and actions.