A taste of honey!
Over the month of July, the Phase wellbeing challenge is about connecting with people. Not just sending someone a snapchat, or liking their instagram picture, but really connecting with them, where it's a two-way conversation.
Relationships, people, family, friends, colleagues, whatever you call them, we all spend time around others and therefore we leave everyone with an imprint of who we are, or more importantly, how we made them feel.
People say that you remember more about how your teachers made you feel than what they taught you - sorry to any teachers - so it is important to be mindful of how we treat others. Jesus said ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’, pretty wise words in anyones book.
But working on relationships can be difficult, it takes time, energy, pain, sweat and tears sometimes, yet, I believe that it is worth it.
I believe that we were never designed to be alone, we were made to connect with others in many different ways, shapes and forms. To me this is very important, I want to connect with others, find out about them, learn what makes them tick. It is not always easy, often I get it wrong, however that in itself spurs me on to be a better person.
So what can you do? How can you connect with others and build better relationships?
Here are a few things that I enjoy doing, they are very simple, yet can have a very positive impact.
- Use a cashiers name, ask them how their day has been or what coffee they would recommend.
- Ask a colleague what they did over the weekend or even what they have planned for the coming one and then ask how it all went the following week.
- Offer to do a chore at home that someone else usually does and do it lovingly.
- Smile at strangers. not it a weird way - put on your best smile!
- Bake cakes for a neighbour.
- Use social media to ask how others are, not just updating them on your awesome life.
Dale Carnegie wrote a very good book - How to win friends and influence people. It will leave you with a taste of honey ;)
I am sure you can think of a whole bunch of even better ideas, if so tweet Phase and let us know.
