BRAGGING RIGHTS

BRAGGING.

Powerful word.

It's likely you had a visceral reaction 
to seeing that word.
A reaction involving feelings, 
not necessarily your intellect.

Someone, (maybe you)
just felt a sibling,
a team mate,
a friend,
or a co-worker,
shoving their report card,
their home run,
or their big promotion
to the corner office
in your face.

Someone
just saw the look of pride
on a parent or spouse's,
or date's face
as they told another person
about one of your qualities
or accomplishments.

How did that feel?

Good?
(because they were
genuinely appreciating your talent,
your achievement,
or gifts and abilities?)

Or did it make you feel
pressured
to keep "measuring up"?

Were they bragging
because of their wonder
at the amazing human being
and soul that you are?
Or
was there a tinge of  yucky-ness 
at the way telling about YOUR success
made THEM look good.

Bragging strikes
different people,
different ways,
at different times,
for different reasons.

I want to SHARE
BRAGGING RIGHTS with YOU.

But lets call today's experience...
Bragging RIGHT.

A few times this week
I had the experience of being assisted at the library on the computers.
First by Terry,
then by Tony,
and then again today by Tony
and then on my own computer being updated by Terry.
These two guys have been so helpful.

Two weeks ago Terry did
a 2 hour class on computers.
It was basic, and clear,
and well presented,
and I learned a lot.

I learned so much from that experience that I felt compelled to call his supervisor, and Brag about him.

I told this man details about how knowledgeable Terry was,
but also about his
really terrific interpersonal skills
that gave those of us in the class
the ability to feel more confident,
as well as free to ask questions about things we did not understand.

As I bragged about Terry
I told this man that in all
my years of using computers at my job,
no one had really ever showed me
how to understand and use them properly.

In the past, when I did venture a question someone who was more skilled always quickly DID the task and walked away. This "help" only left me floundering each time I had to re-attempt that same task.

I got a chance to BRAG about Terry
as a skilled instructor,
AND as a compassionate human being.

"Bragging Right"  (to me)
means focusing on the persons awesomeness...
(not on my seeming inadequacies.)

Bragging Right
is about complementing
not just what someone does,
but who they are,
and "how" they did it.

Not just what they look like,
but how they "look" at others.

Not just what they accomplished,
but the graciousness,
the effort and knowledge,
the care and compassion,
and the skill and patience
that they brought to the task.

Bragging Right
is not about what a smart or beautiful grand baby we "have"
but about the wonder
and the delight
of getting to spend time
with this sweet little human
being.

Bragging Right is
focusing and commenting
on someone else's smile
and not our own weight or wrinkles.

Its about cheering
for their many hours
and weeks
of practice or studying,
rather than exclusively
about their position in the race
or the place they ranked
in their class.

Bragging Right can be
verbally appreciating
someone
who is usually treated as
a "phone-drone"
with the utility company,
even if they seemingly didn't
do anything extraordinary,
other than their job.

This week
lets take Bragging Rights
to a whole new level.

It's fun and freeing
to put our eyes
and our words to good use.

And for some one that encounters you,
it just may be the first time
they've ever been bragged on,

for Being a human being,

instead of for being

a human
do-ing.

Rock the Space You're In!

Love and Peace of Mind,
Delight, and Clarity of Purpose,
To you and those you love,
JOY