Time: < 30 Minutes
STEP 1: Think of others around you… who is struggling? Who could use a helping hand? Do you know of anyone going through a break-up or divorce? Or is there an old friend that you haven’t talked to in a long time? This could mean also smiling and holding a door for someone at the grocery store or reaching out to a friend when they post vacation pictures to ask them what they enjoyed most about their trip.
STEP 2: Write down what makes you feel valued when you interact with people. It could be when someone asks you questions, or when they make eye contact while you’re speaking. These small gestures indicate that people are interested in what you have to say, so practice these skills daily.
- Review your list each morning (and afternoon/evening if necessary) to remind you of how to communicate and interact with friends, family, strangers, and other potential relationships.
- Whether spending quality time talking with friends or providing support to your children after a tough day, focus on making them feel special. In return, they will walk away from your interaction feeling more valued by you than when they walked into it.
STEP 3: At the end of the day, reflect over your day to see how you did on these skills. You may decide to make copies of your list and date each day so you can track your progress and hold yourself accountable for making others feel important.
STEP 4: As you get better at making others “feel important”, you may start looking for opportunities to expand your reach with them. Maybe you bring a home cooked meal to a friend who is going through a rough time or give a framed picture of you and your loved one to them as a gift. Continue to look for opportunities to make others feel valued. You just might change the trajectory of their life!
