One of my New Years Resolution requests was for you to be ‘good to others’. This includes reaching out to others and offering a word of encouragement, a kind word, or simply a connection, or reconnection. Let me relate my experience of doing just that.
I made three calls. Remember the power of three? One was to my beloved sister; one to an old friend back in Michigan who I’d not talked with in months; and finally to a new guy I’d met recently. Nothing fancy, just checking in and wishing them well into the new year.
Three emails (notwithstanding the dozens that go out each day) where also sent to people I’d not been in touch with for awhile. Again, simply wishing them well and reminding them of how important they are to me.
Finally, two emails of appreciation to a couple of fellow bloggers who I’ve been following from afar for some time. I let each of them know how much I admire their work, how informative their blogs are, and finally letting them know how important they are to me. Sense a theme here? Just the act of telling another how important they are to us is enough to, well, let them know we appreciate them……just as they are.
Ok, fine, my task is done. Little did I know the unexpected outcomes of these very intentional actions.
First off there where two phone calls from people out of my past, back in Michigan. Reconnecting and saying I was on their minds, wondering what was up with me, and how I was doing.
Second, and this one really surprised me, and email arrived from a young lad I’d let live with me for short time back in 1991. He left unexpectedly when I found out he’d been letting ‘his fingers do the walking’, and more, on the 800 sex lines….on my dime, well, more than a dime, trust me.
Apparently a tune on the radio had brought back memories for him of my kindness allowing him to live with me and he wanted to connect, and send me the ‘phone bill’ money he owed me. Now what an incredible surprise this was!
Finally, in a coffee shop over the weekend a man, at the next table over from a friend and I, politely interrupted and asked if my name was Ronald. He then related that he’d heard a paper I’d presented at a conference in New Orleans back in the early 90’s and wanted to tell me how impressed he had been, and is, with my work and commitment to creating a ‘gay ok’ world. Wow! Can you believe that? Almost 20 years ago and there he is was drinking a cup of joe next to me in a coffee shop. Amazing.
I say all this to remind you, and myself, of the unexpected results of intentional actions. We simple do not know, nor can ever dream of what our positive reaching out to another will result in. All it takes is the ‘intentional action’ of a kind word, a reconnection, a simple thought. Simple, right?
What three intentional actions do you plan to do in your life this week?
Tags: Coaching Tip, New Year, Relationships
