I received this email from a newsletter subscriber on Monday:

“Hey Jeremy, Just wanted to let you know I thought this post was way awesome. Such good stuff. Almost too much good stuff. Loved it. Thanks for sharing…”

Had this come from any subscriber, I would have been perfectly delighted. To know that one’s efforts are appreciated is an incredibly invigorating experience. For it to have come from one whom I consider one of the ten smartest people I know, I was taken aback:

“Do they know they’re talking about my newsletter?”

I couldn’t believe it! What a boost of confidence! What excitement! What invigoration, and encouragement to keep up my practice, to keep chipping away.

There is incredible power a simple compliment.

This blog is often concerned with what an individual can do to spark their own creativity; but it’s worthwhile to consider how we can spark one others’ as well. What did it take for this person to spur me on via email? All of 20 seconds to craft a thoughtful note.

It struck me that I have that same power, too: I can spur someone else on in their practice. I’m planning to pay it forward and encourage others I know to keep going, to stick with it, to let them know their efforts aren’t wasted.

Compliments cost little, but have enormous benefits: talk about a high-ROI strategy to amplify impact.

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