“One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what another has to say.” ~ Bryant H. McGill
Sometimes the choices we make are life changing
In December, 2022, Noah Bjerke-Wieser, the senior captain of the La Crescent High School basketball team, posted this message on social media:
“…As a captain of the varsity team I would like to come out and say we need to stop yelling at the refs, us as players, and as spectators in the stands. Nobody will ever call a perfect game and everybody makes mistakes…As players and spectators we need to let the players play, the officials officiate, and the fans cheer. I know I am not perfect in this too but we need to change. I hope we can all come together as a community and change for the better…”
Just eighteen, Noah’s courageous words hit a nerve, rippling throughout his community and beyond. Those words were picked up by the media and… by the Musial Awards.
The Musial Awards
Named for Baseball Hall of Famer Stan Musial, the Musial Awards recognize the year’s greatest moments of sportsmanship and honor those in sports who embody class and character. The mission of the Musial Awards is to encourage kindness, integrity and civility in sports and society – and to inspire people across the nation to be good sports. (from the Musial Awards website)
Previous Musial Award recipients include Arnold Palmer, Cal Ripken, Jr., Wayne Gretzky, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Nadia Comaneci, Hank Aaron….and many more. And in 2023, they included Noah Bjerke-Wieser. (5th from the right)
It’s likely we won’t be nominated for the Musial Award, however this week we can make a kind and respectful difference in our lives and in the lives of others. Here’s a great mnemonic to help us….R.E.S.P.E.C.T.
Respect different opinions
Encourage kindness
Speak out against disrespect
Practice good listening skills
Eliminate gossip
Cause no harm
Think before you speak
Thanks for reading. I appreciate you being here.😊
May your week be filled with kindness.
Heather
PS - Visit the Kindness Magnet Library for more kindness inspiration!
PPS: If you haven’t joined our community yet, here’s an easy link. Just add your email to start getting Kindness Magnet in your Inbox each week. It’s free!
COMMENTS:
Have you seen someone showing respect in your community this week?
Hi. How’s your week going?
I learned to listen actively by watching my dog, a mini Aussie Shepherd, who turns her head from side to side as she intently follows everything I say. Now I listen to my wife the same way and she thinks I’m wonderful.
Please don’t tell her I learned to listen from the dog, because I don’t want to lose all the progress I am making. I’m trying to make a comeback after the used red union suite thrift store underwear with the button up back door incident, which I thought would make excellent men’s lingerie.
The fact that it was an 18-yr-old making that statement says something about millennials today. That's good upbringing right there.