I don’t mind hearing the word, bravo, but nor do I need it. When you reach that point when nothing really matters but the work, regardless of praise, it’s quite lovely. And also, there’s the point, too, when it’s nicer to be the one saying it about others rather than waiting to hear it.

“Everybody is in love with this word, Bravo!
They spend their lives trying to hear it called out
to them.
Bravo! Bravo!

Crowing comes from the rooster.
Morning comes from God.”

– Rumi

You might remember these next lines from my post “20 Ways to Find an Inner Calm.”

“It's a person’s duty to get oneself in a position
where one can be generous with their time and silver.

Whenever you gather with friends or are in a crowd,
try to be the one least in need. For simply doing that
is giving.”

– Rumi

It’s so much easier to breathe from this place where you are the one least in need. To look around the room and see what others might need. There’s a much deeper kind of happiness to be found, a contentedness. What do you have to give?

You don’t need to hear the rooster crow. You need to wake up in the morning, and feel the morning, be part of morning, sink into that, inhabit that. Breathe in the morning, breathe out “bravo!” to whomever needs that.