What I learned asking folks to do a "good thing"

Earlier this week I asked people to comment publicly, extolling the virtue of the author or simply offering a well-wishing.  The results were interesting.  The process illuminating.

Givens:

• Most people with whom I have contact are reporting social media activity in the morning hours.
• My gratitude journal was rather thinly populated as of late.
• I found myself needing a refreshed perspective regarding resources, and simply decided to ask others to help me inventory
• I wanted to feel good and wondered what it would be like to crowdsource it.
  

Interesting points in process

• I hesitated multiple times in posting the question to please generate a message with the intent to create some Goodness.  It turns out one person assumed I was experiencing struggle or hardship.  That was an interesting assumption. 
  
• The [internal] argument was basically the voice, "What will others think?"  Similar concern:  "People will think you're not at the top of your game." 
  
• The next day the post was populated by so much generosity I learned how much [emotionally and energetically] greater I can start each day;  ingesting this positive feedback created an upwelling of highly energizing content that I drew from throughout the day.  
• I populated my gratitude journal with all these wonderful comments, bulking it nicely.

Conclusion

• I recommend everyone ask others to say genuinely kind things about you or your character
• Small risk + unchecked internal dialogue = unnecessarily high levels of anxiety/hesitation
• Asking for help is awesome
• Be extremely thoughtful and protective of morning influences on rest of day.  If you don't have charging rituals to begin each day, I do not recommend a screen-based morning.  The power of this exercise really demonstrated and reinforced for me the importance of setting the day with intent, not agenda.
  
• I received some terrific responses from people from whom I haven't heard in years.