Happy Sunday Everyone:
I’ve found myself in the past couple months calling Jack and Thomas back to celebrate a win they had previously called to tell me about during the day. I was calling them back with the recognition of the fact that my level of enthusiasm for them was likely not matched to their level of excitement of calling me in the first place to share something they’re proud of. It got me thinking of the level of energy I bring to their wins and losses, hence the need to recalibrate. If they’re calling with bad news, they can easily get a level 8-10 lecture, and on a call they didn’t want to make in the first place. If they call with a win, they often get a 2-4 level of excitement on a call they were excited to make. That’s not a good.
I’m not sure if this is an everyone issue or a me issue but its deserving of some reflection, which is to say do you lift people up in celebrating their wins with them as much as you help them suffer in their losses. Can you imagine your kids saying to someone “my parents really helped me make sure I understood how badly I did when I did bad, and I ‘think’ they were happy when I did well”, pass. This isn’t just about parenting; it’s a universal challenge. If someone is showing you enough honor and respect to bring you good news, you have both a choice and a responsibility to respond accordingly. I’m not over here hammering myself on it, but I’m glad it crossed my mind on more than one occasion. My own personal mission statement is to breathe life into everyone I interact with. Those 8 words, that simple. If that’s my personal mission, was that the end result from Jack/Thomas calling me? I don’t want it to be a question, I want it to be an emphatic “YES”, especially with them.
I think of so many scenarios at work, with friends, with family where this is applicable i.e. someone coming to you for an acknowledgement of their win. There are plenty of examples too where people are filling an insecurity, looking for attention, whatever…that’s not what I’m talking about here. When it’s an authentic desire to share, I believe it’s coming from a place of humility more than anything else. I’m talking of the wonderful balance of someone doing something they’re proud of and having enough respect, honor, or appreciation, to want to share it with you. When you can meet someone’s excitement to share something with you, with your excitement for their win, that’s a human magical moment. The more we can be intentional to take a pause, recognize a moment when its occurring, and choose to make it count, that’s worth consideration.
And to Jack and Thomas reading this, I’ll do better.
Have a great Sunday!