Welcome! I am a contemplative thinker and photographer from Colorado. In this blog, you'll discover photographs that I've taken on my hiking and backpacking trips, mostly in the American West. I've paired these with my favorite inspirational and philosophical quotes - literary passages that emphasize the innate spirituality of the natural world. I hope you enjoy them!

If you'd like to purchase photo-quote greeting cards, please go to www.NaturePhoto-QuoteCards.com .


In the Spirit of Wildness,

Stephen Hatch
Fort Collins, Colorado

P.S. There's a label index at the bottom of the blog.

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

A compliment is most effective when - like the setting sun - we disappear from the need for a response.


Life can be pretty simple. When we offer a sincere compliment to someone, it causes them to glow.  Chances are high that they will in turn will feel complimentary toward those around them, which will then cause the OTHERS to glow. The potential for spreading this kind of happiness is endless.  The key, it seems, is to disappear from the scene without expecting a response, or to change the subject immediately after offering the compliment.  In doing so, we embody the apparent thoughtfulness of the evening sun, which disappears over the horizon immediately after making all things glow in the most mellow and beautiful light of the day.  When we act in this way, the other person will know that the compliment was intended as an end in itself, with no hidden motives.  After all, what can be more fulfilling than knowing that we have helped bring joy to another's day?

Photo: Raspberry leaves glow in last light; Vedauwoo Recreation Area, Medicine Bow National Forest, WY; November 3, 2012

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