The power of praise

To begin today's topic, I'll tell you a story. It's one of those that warms the heart and gives us hope that things aren't so hopeless, so slow down your scroll because I promise it'll be worth it.

One day, while browsing Empório's Instagram DMs, I came across a message from a girl named Luiza saying she'd found a Nação Criativa sketchbook and the ID of a boy named Daniel at the airport. She wasn't even a fan of Empório, but she sent us the photos in the hopes that we could find the owner.

Just by looking at it we already recognize Dani, who was at the event we held in São Paulo this year:

We contacted him and in a short time he was able to speak to her and already had her documents and Sketchbook back.

That's when we started thinking: she could have skipped the airport lost property. She could have taken it and kept it for herself. She chose to look for us and returned it to Dani. So we decided to tell her how amazing she was: we sent her some goodies and a thank-you note in the mail.

After that , we started talking about how many things and people we miss every day. I can't count the number of times I've looked at someone on the street and thought, "Wow, she/he is amazing," or smiled to myself when I saw someone doing something cool, said absolutely nothing to the person, and moved on with my day.

It turns out we live in groups, and somehow, at some point, we'll need external validation to keep believing in ourselves. While we think amazing things about someone, they may be questioning their own worth and feeling like the shadow of a worm swarming around the trash in the city's darkest alleys. A simple, honest word of encouragement every now and then can change their day (and even if that's not the case, a compliment never hurts anyone).

Amanda (photo) also told me a story that I wanted to transcribe in full because it exemplifies exactly what I'm trying to say:

"There was a girl in my class who I thought was wonderful, and there was this one time we were at a party and I was wearing a blue dress. She came up to me and said she had a dress just like mine, but it looked much prettier on me. I remember being so shocked, because I felt like a worm's poop around her, and her saying that made me feel incredible and didn't put her down at all. After that, I started forcing myself to compliment people more, because for her it was nothing, but for me it was a self-esteem boost." (Amanda Longoni)

As with Luiza and Amanda, doing something nice for others is always a choice , and therefore, it's truly spectacular. With that in mind, starting with this post, I want everyone to start paying more attention to the people around them and verbalize the positive things they see.

Also, let's try to do more things that help people beyond ourselves - not for the praise, but for the simple knowledge that small acts of empathy can change the world . And if we want the world to truly change, and for everyone to start accepting and valuing themselves, it needs to start with us.

And if you 're the one feeling like a worm in the alley, know that you are enough. We live in times when we're ashamed or afraid to say something positive and be misunderstood, so know that even if it's rarely said out loud, you are incredible just the way you are.

With love,
Re