We live in a world where there is positive and negative reinforcement, as well as positive and negative validation. Negative reinforcement and negative validation aren't always a bad thing (and excessively positive things aren't always good), but this episode focuses on positive reinforcement and validation, because I feel like positive reinforcement and validation, both in personal lives and in work spaces, tends to be lacking. There's a popular saying (with the wording varying slightly):

People won't congratulate you for the 100 things you did right, but they will criticize you for the one thing you did wrong, even if it is a small thing.

Fostering an attitude of gratitude in a way that gives people motivation when they doing good, rather than solely berating people for when things don't go your way, is all too common and the lack of balance is essentially the driving force for this episode. Actually, polls have consistently shown that a significant portion of employees, for example, feel underappreciated a work. Nearly two-thirds (!) felt unappreciated daily (!!) and many feel they've never had an employer truly appreciate their work (!!!), and it isn't just a work-related thing. Check out one related article on this at:

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/nearly-half-americans-quit-jobs-145250545.html

Validation and reinforcement should be authentic, considerate of the target audience or individual or people, and it does NOT have to be grand in scope. Essentially, in the most basic words, positive reinforcement and validation often comes down to showing courtesy and decency to whoever you are with, reminding them of their impact or their potential (in and out of work. One great way of being a positive influence on people is to be a positive role model, especially if you are working to change things for the better in your communities. Just be careful not to diminish people's experiences by turning absolutely everything into a positive --- there is balance, as well as a time and place, like with most things!

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