Need a Lift?
by Dave Gillogly
A few years ago, a friend of mine wrote a book for his sons. It was advice for successful living titled Up and In (as opposed to Down and Out).
One of the suggestions I particularly liked was to create a “lift file.” A lift file is just a collection of thank you notes, texts, e-mails, articles, etc. that would give you a “lift” when you needed it. All of us occasionally feel down and need to be reminded that we’re not completely worthless, and that we really are contributing something to the well-being of the planet or to humankind. The file isn’t intended to puff up your ego or to give you a false sense of self-worth, but rather to help you stop the negative self-talk, to break the discouragement cycle and to put a smile back on your face.
So, when someone says thank you or something nice on a birthday card, or you get a plaque or certificate for some achievement, don’t discard it. Put it in a file so you can re-read it and remember the occasion. Try it with some you might have around already and see if it doesn’t brighten your day.
My file has been beneficial enough over the years that I have made a point to add things to others’ files. Thank you notes, particularly hand-written, are becoming scarcer, but they are worth the time and effort. But if that isn’t always convenient, send a text or e-mail, or better yet pick up the phone or talk in person. It’s never too late. One of my most memorable “lifts” came in a conversation nearly thirty years after the event. Thank you, Paul Thompson. No matter how much time has passed since someone did something nice or memorable, tell that person when you see him or her. It doesn’t need to be something they did for you, just something that you knew about or observed.
Jesus said to love our neighbors as ourselves and to go about doing good. Two of the best ways we can love people and do them good are also two of the simplest: say thanks or compliment them.
If we truly want to help change the divisive atmosphere around us, let’s be a small blessing wherever we are. One of the best things I learned in management was to catch people doing something right rather than to constantly correct them. Trust me, you will get more good behavior that way than correcting every shortcoming you encounter. Commit to adding to other people's files. It’s true that you can’t lift someone else’s spirit without lifting your own.
If you’ve thrown away lots of things that should have gone into your file, here are three suggestions:
1. Start saving new things that come your way.
2. Savor the old ones. They’re already filed in your personal “cloud,” your brain. Virtually dust off a few memories and savor them.
3. When the Holy Spirit gives you a special message from Scripture or somewhere else, write it down and put it into your file.
Things like:
“Yea, I have loved you with an everlasting love.”
“I love you so much that while you were still a sinner, I died for you.”
“While you were yet in your mother’s womb, I knew you.”
“I will perfect that which concerns you.”
Happy filing, I hope it gives you a lift.
Author Bio
Dave Gillogly has been a member of Council Road for forty-four years and is a guy who has been blessed by so many lifters in his life that he can hardly keep his feet on the ground. He’s trying to return the favor.