mutual_admiring - Profile (original) (raw)

on 5 February 2004 (#2121010)

The Mutual Admiration Society

I received this email and decided that I loved the idea of always praising my mate and my children. I thought to make a community out of it. What belongs here is you telling the person you admire, love, like, adore, ect. what parts of them you want to praise. Whether that person be a friend or a loved one or both or the thing be a body part or a trait they have. Let that person know how much you appreciate them.

It doesn't matter what religion or race you are we all love alike so please don't be shy to join and tell others why your spouse, SO, mate, friend, son, daughter, ect is so wonderful.

This is the email I received that prompted me to start this Community.

The Mutual Admiration Society

by Barbara Rainey

How delightful is a timely word!

During the early months of our marriage, Dennis and Iwe spontaneously complimented and praised each other for newly discovered characteristics. It became almost a game to see who could find another good quality to praise. We named our exclusive "club" the "Mutual Admiration Society."

Today, with a house full of children, the situation is not quite the same. But the Mutual Admiration Society does reconvene. Some evenings at the dinner table we raise a question such as: "What do you appreciate most about Dad?" We then go around the table and answer. We've heard such classic comments as: "He goes fishing with me," "He goes on dates with me," or, from our daughter Rebecca when she was just five, "He sneaks chocolate with me." It's very difficult to be depressed when a chorus of youngsters cheers you on.

William James said, "All of us, in the glow of feeling we have pleased, want to do more to please." Thus, you can help to motivate your mate toward excellence in his or her character and his or her performance by giving generous, liberal and fervent praise.

Don't forget to praise your mate for those mundane daily duties. Make a mental note of those unpleasant, difficult tasks, and give a verbal reward of encouragement the next time he or she completes one. Anytime Dennis fixes something around the house, for example, I am quick to express my appreciation. I know how inept he feels in this area and what it takes for him to crank up the courage to at least try!

Your mate also needs you to praise him or her specifically for who he or she is as a person. Sow the good seeds of praise in his or her life with statements such as:

"I appreciate you because you..."

"I admire you for your..."

"Thank you for..."

To appreciate means "to raise in value," while to depreciate means to "lower in value." You can watch your mate's encouragement "value" go up when you appreciate him or her verbally!

advice, babies, baby, baby boys, baby girls, bed, bisexuality, boy meets boy, boy meets girl, boyfriend, boyfriends, bride, brides, children, churches, confess, confessing, confessing secrets, confession, confessions, couple, couples, crush, crushes, date, dates, dating, daughters, engaged, engagement, family, father, feeling better, first times, flowers, forever, forgiveness, forgiving, friends, gardens, girl meets boy, girl meets girl, girlfriend, girlfriends, girls, giving, groom, heal, healing, heart, hearts, help, helping, heterosexuality, homosexuality, hope, husband, husbands, i do, love, loving, making friends, marriage, mother, music, needed, open minded people, parenting, parents, plans, realization, realizations, relationship, relationships, rings, romance, romancing, romeo & juliet, school projects, schools, sighing, sons, soul mates, souls, star-crossed lovers, sweetness, teach, toddlers, toys, wanted, wedding, wedding rings, weddings, wife, wives, write