"Imagine praising the next person you see. Praise him or her as fully as possible, so you are embarrassed that you are so praisefull. What praise would you give? Picture someone you know — anyone — and feel what is the most magnanimous praise you can offer them.
"Remember your mother and father as you offer this praise. Imagine doing so now. How do you feel?
"You have probably chosen a career and sought an intimate partner in reaction to the praise you never got from your parents. Take time to remember what you didn't get from your mother and father, and look at what you seek through your career and intimate relationship.
"What do you wish your parents had told you more? Really feel into your childhood. Feel, as a child, what your parents said or didn't say to you. What do you wish your parents had given you more of? What do you wish your parents had said to you?
"To the next person you see, silently give the praise you didn't get enough of from your parents but wish you had. Give this praise silently to everyone you see for the next three days. In your imagination, give this praise silently to your parents, right now. How does it feel to offer the praise you never got, but wished you had?
"Holding back praise limits all the love you are willing to give — through speech, sex, and touch. It also restrains the love you could offer through your life's work.
"Give the praise that you wish your parents had given you more of. Give it silently to everyone, and give it out loud to your lover, whether you feel they deserve it or not. Find out what happens when you do. Discover the full offering your were born to give, as a gift, to everyone."
