WHEN DID YOU LAST . . .?
What ARE you looking
to do with your life?
Okay, your business is your life, or at least a humongous chunk of your life, yes? That’s great. I love my work and consider myself fortunate to be doing what I most enjoy as my means to earning a living so we’re in this together. BUT . . .
When did you last break away from your job
and thinking about your job to . . . hug?
Renowned Gestalt-based family therapist/author/icon Virginia Satir www.advanta.net/ said it takes 12 hugs a day to grow emotionally strong. And you do know that being mentally and/or physically strong enough to do your job effectively, and excel, requires that you also be emotionally strong.
What good are you as a business or professional practice owner or manager if your emotional scale is tipped too far to the left or teetering on the edge of a breakdown, temper tantrum, road rage, or worse?
So what does your scorecard look like? How many hugs today? You initiated them or someone else did? Planned or spontaneous? Real or token? Pitter-pattery or bone-crushing? Start keeping track. You’ll learn a whole lot about others and your self. And the more you know about you, the better you’ll deal with others.
Ah, dealing with others. Right. So now that your cage is arattlin’, lets’ try another quiz: When did you last pat someone on the back for a job well done? A staff member? A peer? A teammate? An opposing team member? A child? A parent? A stranger? Your spouse? A customer? A partner?
People –ALL people (and most domestic animals too)– appreciate being appreciated, especially for performing small deeds and accomplishing routine little tasks that ordinarily go unnoticed.
Try a pat on the back accompanied by: “Thanks for taking the responsibility to do your homework before playing computer games!” or “Thanks for the great dinner; I really enjoyed that salad!” or “Good job with that regular weekly report; it’s nice to see your efforts be so steady and reliable!” or “Good hustle, Harry; you were almost safe, and you did knock in that run!” or “I don’t ever mention it, but you should know I appreciate that you just automatically do so much laundry every week, and never even complain; thank you!”
Or just: “Thank you for helping me become the person I am” or “Thank you for helping me become a more authentic person” or “Thank you for helping me to grow” or “Thank you for being so supportive when I needed it!”
IF WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING TO DO WITH YOUR LIFE IS MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN LIFE, START BY MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE WAYS YOU SUPPORT AND APPRECIATE OTHERS.
In the process, you will “happily surprise” others, but you will astonish your self! Guaranteed! Thank you for considering these ideas!
# # #
FREE blog subscription: Posts RSS Feed
Hal@Businessworks.US 302.933.0116
Open Minds Open Doors
Many thanks for your visit and God Bless You.
Appreciating others will not only “astonish yourself” it will also help you with focusing on the positive. We need more of that – especially during these days of discouragement and depressing times.
Openly stating that you appreciate someone, love someone or are thankful for what they have done does double duty. It encourages their continued support and it gives you an instant lift because you can see the joy it brings to them to know that they are appreciated.
Thanks for a great post – hugs are truly a wonderful (not to mention free) way of encouragement!