Thumbs

“Thumbs are but an extension of your attitude.”

—Jeff Boone

I could hear my five-year-old son talking in another room about a project he had been working on the night before. He approached me with a big piece of brown construction paper. Slowly, he stretched the paper between his two little hands and held it up so I could see it. His face was blank as he waited for my response.

As I looked at the picture, my first thoughts were, “What is it? Can I identify anything he has drawn? Do the colors give away any signs?” I could feel the look of confusion on my face, and I quickly caught myself. I then extended both thumbs up and with a big smile and full of excitement, I said “Great job, son!”

My son was looking for positive affirmation, and due to my positive reaction, he felt great about his efforts.

How often do you and I discourage others with a negative attitude? Are we the type others seek out to feel good about themselves or their situation? Or are you someone they avoid? Thumbs are but an extension of your attitude, and a simple thumbs-up gesture may change the outcome of a given situation.