A Moment of Gratitude
Added 2022-11-23 20:47:39 +0000 UTCHere in the US we are gearing up to celebrate Thanksgiving—a holiday that celebrates family and giving and also is rooted in a troubling legacy. No matter if you celebrate or don’t or don’t live in this country…I think gratitude is something we can all benefit from practicing regularly.
I know Megan, Amy and I are deeply grateful for all of you and it is constantly energizing and humbling to connect with everyone on the power of shared joy.
So I’m not letting anyone go without a question—obviously. And I decided on one that can be uncomfortable for some people (like me) who have a difficult relationship with praise or compliments. Ya’ll know I like hard things!
What’s one compliment that you’ve received in the last year(s) that you are grateful for?
I’ll go! This weekend I caught up with some high school friends in Los Angeles. One of them told me that I bring chaos magic into situations — less being the person who puts frozen peas in the pantry (all the time) but a person who encourages others to swing for the fences and put themselves in uncomfortable or stretch positions to grow. It really meant a lot to me LOL.
Now tag, you are it!
Comments
I have a co-worker who thanked me recently for opening up about the parts of my job working with kids with ASD that are hard for me. It is scary for me to allow myself to be vulnerable, and I am grateful she told me it helped her feel better.
Noellagm
2022-11-27 22:03:01 +0000 UTCMy mum told me earlier this year how proud she was of me and how well I was managing everything. And those of you with Asian mums might know how this is a big deal and something that isn’t said lightly in Asian families - where feedback on things we could do better at is much more common 😁 Also grateful to this fantastic community - you’ve been such a joy to share this fandom with ❤️
Sarah @afternoonaasks
2022-11-27 13:54:53 +0000 UTCNothing big comes to mind with compliments but my kids are now young adults and my oldest told me recently that every day she has a better appreciation for the parenting choices we made (which she pushed back against at the time). But I want to echo how much I appreciate this podcast and how much joy it has brought me over the past year. I know it must be hard work but your final product, the 60-90 minutes of delight you deliver to us weekly is truly a gift for which I think we all are forever thankful!
Lorna
2022-11-26 15:00:45 +0000 UTCBoth good for the brain AND the heart! You know that what you do matters. (I am a teacher of sorts, and it always gives me a "pep in my step" when I receive good feedback from students.)
Kara Guminski
2022-11-25 09:37:30 +0000 UTCSo, super glad and grateful to have connected with the Afternoonas: your podcasts and Patreon posts and Zoom meetings have been a huge source of joy during an often awful time in the world. Hearing and reading the thoughtful and witty discussions has been and will continue to be a lifeline for me. And may I say, how clever and bright are all the women in the above comments....just reading them was uplifting! You all deserve such compliments every day. I received a compliment similar to Krista's.....as I work on pre-hab for my upcoming knee joint replacement, my trainer at the physiotherapy clinic was quite surprised to hear I am 64, and thought younger (I didn't ask how much younger just thanked him!) I am certainly finding my 60s full of interesting aches and pains and physical changes, but in my head I am reaching for that dynamic active sort of retiree. It made me smile to hear the compliment, for sure! The whole topic of gratitude, both by me and towards me, makes me revisit times in my teaching career when I got positive comments and appreciation from students and colleagues. Very good for the brain!
LauraPat H
2022-11-24 22:36:13 +0000 UTCHell yes to all of this! Proud of you for not wasting any more of your shine where it isn’t being seen or appreciated in the right ways! I hope you continue to thrive!
Megan Erickson
2022-11-24 18:42:21 +0000 UTCIt’s been a lonely time for so many reasons - and it’s great we can be together even in online spaces (which I’ll soapbox all day can be deeply meaningful especially to womxn who get pulled into so many obligations and often have to fill in connecting times around the edges). Kids are honest too so those compliments are always delightful!
Megan Erickson
2022-11-24 18:41:28 +0000 UTCThe recent compliments I can think of have come from my three year old, and let’s face it, toddlers aren’t really a reliable source of feedback. But I do love it when he says things like “I just like spending the day with you” or “I want to be a mama when I grow up.” Being a working mom is so stinking hard (and I say that recognizing how many privileges I have) and I miss the way my life used to be pre-kid. On a somewhat related note, the last couple of years have felt pretty lonely, so I’ve been really grateful for this group. Thank you, Afternoonas, for creating such a wonderful community!
Nicole H
2022-11-24 17:23:50 +0000 UTCIn March I left the job I had had for 8 and a half years. When I told a colleague that I'd be leaving she said "good for you! They never deserved you!" ... This comment made me feel seen. I had stayed about 2 years too long, being passed over time and time again for promotions (and then having to guide and advise (and honestly to edit and correct the work of) the people they hired instead at double my salary!) It took me a while to realise my worth and fully appreciate what I had to offer, but clearly those around me saw and recognised it! They also saw that I was being undervalued. ... At my new job in a new field for about 8 months now and I'm loving it. My effort is properly compensated, I work with a great team, and I'm learning loads!
Heather CK
2022-11-24 15:59:07 +0000 UTCHoo boy it’s hard to be a teacher—and so that is a great compliment. What a cool gift to be able to be impacting younger ppl and getting them excited and keeping them curious!
Megan Erickson
2022-11-24 13:54:17 +0000 UTCI am teaching a class for our homeschool co-op for the first time. One of the other mothers who, I don't know very well, sought me out the other day to tell me it was her daughter's favorite class. I am quite proud of that. We took our kids out of public school during the pandemic and decided to stick with homeschool for many reasons, but mostly because we want them to love learning. It was a compliment close to my heart because there are many difficult days when I question everything.
Lauren Cohen
2022-11-24 13:11:32 +0000 UTCKrista, I COMPLETELY relate to your comment and feelings! It is so hard to experience what you're going through. I love it when I get compliments like this one, and I love that you received one! PS. I would have NEVER guessed from your photo that you're 40!
Kara Guminski
2022-11-24 10:22:00 +0000 UTCI just squealed! I love this. LOVE IT. What a compliment!
Kara Guminski
2022-11-24 10:19:50 +0000 UTCWhat a wonderful compliment! Empathy is innate, but sometimes we don't recognize it in ourselves when it is happening. It is really great to point out that someone is empathetic, and brave to do. This is a wonderful compliment.
Kara Guminski
2022-11-24 10:18:44 +0000 UTCWhen Nicole and I went to see The Rose a couple weeks ago, the nice bouncer who ID'd me for wristbands told me that "there's no way that you're 40." That might seem like a shallow compliment and he might say that to many more ladies than myself, but as someone who has been going through a bit of midlife crisis this year, plus some health things, plus the hardest year of marriage yet.... it was really something I needed to hear. I've always been really young at heart and as I've started aging more and feeling my body fail me at times it's made me feel like my outside hasn't matched my inside and created some anxiety in me for all the things I have left that I want to do with my life. So, while a small and outward compliment, it (along with the amazing vibes from the show) made me feel like I was somehow reconnecting and coming back to being my youthful self again.
Krista
2022-11-24 06:02:03 +0000 UTCA friend came to me the other day to ask if I had any ideas for a particular problem he had that requires an organizational solution. He said he asked me because I have the “right kind of mind” for these kinds of things. This made me laugh and I reminded him that I’m not the most organized of humans. His reply: “Perhaps not. But you have a beautiful, complex mind. It’s the kind of mind that comes up with solutions.” Made me smile. ☺️☺️☺️
Becky
2022-11-24 02:51:39 +0000 UTCAbout 10 years ago, I stepped down from an exec role to a lower level role so I could care for my kids with serious chronic illness. I stayed at same firm bc of a pension. I have no regrets but it’s a been a journey. Today’s corporate America is a different place than I grew up in - PR makes it seem kinder but I’m not so sure. I had a boss write a review that I am one of the most emphatic people they have ever worked with - always trying to figure out how each person feels or is impacted. My 30 something “successful” self would have not been described like this but I am much happier with this description. Maybe analyzing all the Kdramas has helped ! I am very thankful for this community. I recognize the effort to keep the cadence of the podcasts & posts but it always brings a moment of joy and love hearing the views of this wonderful group
Beth
2022-11-23 23:57:22 +0000 UTC
