I just got done doing a interview show with the founder/president of Speaker Services, where I have promoted my business of therapy and coaching and speaking. No sooner did I get off the “set” that I saw a text of encouragement from someone on my phone.
That got me to thinking about how absolutely vital encouragement and acknowledgement of an accomplishment is. It could be by mom, dad, brother, sister, husband, wife, dear friend. It doesn’t matter from whom…well, it does. And so many of us don’t get that deeply felt, genuinely held acknowledgment that says “Atta boy,” or Atta girl” from a dear one, from someone who matters to us.
Without that acknowledgment, we can lose meaning, and we can lose purpose, or the accomplishment that we’ve attained can lose it. And this speaks to the vital need of social and emotional support among all of us as human beings. If we’ve lost our family of biology, then it’s vital to have a family of friends, a family of choice, that can give us reinforcement of our accomplishments, and ourselves.
With many people, they’ve never known how to praise someone, how to say “good job,” or “well done.” If you’re one of those, I’m strongly encouraging you to try just those words “well done,” or something like it…’cause the odds are that some body close to you would really like to hear them.
If you’re someone who has lost those who would have others, and don’t have others to say “Atta girl, or Atta boy” to you…keep going. Feel what you’re feeling and keep going. You’re still here, and you’re not done yet. I stepped out of my comfort zone by doing this online interview…I “stretched.” I’m encouraging YOU to stretch and create that support system…to trust that there ARE people in the world who want to hang with you, be of support to you. It’s going to take some digging in there and trusting again, but do it. You can.
I’m really encouraging anyone reading this right now to pick up your phone, and call someone that you haven’t in a while, or text them that you’re thinking about them. Just make contact. Every body…let’s just start making contact, real, human contact with each other again. If you’re physically near them then say something to them…”you know that time when….that was really important to me…” Do it.
That’s how we change it, that’s how we change the loneliness inside and the separation from each other. I’m going to continue to “stretch” beyond my comfort zone to do more videos, to do more speeches because I really want us make more contacts with each other. Trusting may not even be needed…just do it, just do the reach out even if it is awkward. It’s vital. It’s needed. Let’s do it.
~Jim