As you walk out the door this evening, what made you look up? Is there a wonderful sunset in your neighborhood? Were you thinking about the day ahead and saying a silent prayer?
When you enter your next meeting with a co-worker, or a new prospective business partner take a deep breath and really focus on enhancing the relationship.
This simple step could make all the difference in your life. New doors may open or unexpected opportunities shall appear, simply because your own mindset was more aware.
- How do you ask questions effectively and answer others with genuine interest?
- Are you displaying your own patience to truly listen, to understand thoroughly?
- How much of your own empathy is on visible display in your dialogue?
Our world is slowly recovering from a global pandemic disaster and yet there still remains signs of hope and new found signs of human progress.
What will you do today to make a difference? You understand that it won’t cost you anything to smile. It will not be a tremendous burden to demonstrate your interest in really learning from someone else.
Who do you know who: __________________? So much of our Life is about building valuable relationships, so that you may answer this question with certainty.
Otherwise, how will you solve your next real problem-set? The next crisis in your business or your own personal life without a solid portfolio of trusted people you can count on, people you can call, people you can even iMessage?
Unfortunately, these past 365 days may be full of shallow interactions and distracted interest, in building solid relationships with others. Or perhaps our lives may find hours or days of loneliness and despair.
Yet you have the ability to change this with your next encounter Face-to-Face, or on the phone, or across your encrypted social media platform.
Is it Zoom, Go-to-Meeting, Webex or Wickr? Or are you sitting next to someone you have never met before, on a United 777 over the Pacific Ocean for 6 hours?
Randall Murphy, a founder of Acclivus always taught us this. “Successful dialogue is primarily a process of actively Listening to a persons ideas or information and it is comprised of three components:
- Active
- Empathic
- Insightful
“Active Listening” is understanding what the person is “saying” and why. “Empathic Listening” is understanding what the person is “feeling” and why.
"Real Insight" is gained by combining both, to understand the persons attitude about YOU, your Role and your Organization or what you are truly Advocating.”
Finally, 2021 will be the year we find greater appreciation for things like:
The evening glimmer of sunlight on clean water. The wave from the neighbor who lives next door.
Our faith in what or whomever we believe in. Those who serve, so we can remain free of threats or illness to our loved ones and our own well-being.
The signs that our bodies are healthy. The hope that exists in all of us for finding peace of mind.
In 2021, look with fresh eyes on everyday things…
