People who really know me know how passionate I am about working with and making a difference for kids. I tell all of them that there are 5 phrases they need to learn to use often and sincerely to get where they want to go in life. And even though these are some of the first words we learn as we begin to understand social cues and healthy interactions with others, somewhere along the path to adulthood we underestimate just how important these 5 phrases are – and the negative impact they have on relationships and organizations when they fade from our lexicons.
Maybe if we all made an effort to use these 5 phrases a little more, the world would be a little better to be in together. Maybe if we go back to those first basic phrases we learned when we started this journey called life, we’d be smarter and happier. I’m reminded of this excerpt from one of my favorite books, All I really needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.
Without realizing it, we fill important places in each other’s lives. It’s that way with the guy at the corner grocery, the mechanic at the local garage, the family doctor, teachers, neighbors, coworkers. Good people who are always “there,” who can be relied upon in small, important ways. People who teach us, bless us, encourage us, support us, uplift us in the dailiness of life. We never tell them. I don’t know why, but we don’t. And, of course, we fill that role ourselves. There are those who depend on us, watch us, learn from us, take from us. And we never know. You may never have proof of your importance, but you are more important than you think. There are always those who couldn’t do without you. The rub is that you don’t always know who.
― Robert Fulghum
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Dr. Hughes we are parents of 6 remarkable adopted children. I absolutely love this video and OMG this speaks to all the values we instill in each of our children! They are certainly my biggest teachers in life! I would love to connect. I would love to share the story of how our 7 year old, drug and alcohol exposed, will inspire our world to change in 2023. It will blow you away and hits home with every phrase. Having connected human conversations are about being seen, loved, heard, and valued.
I love so much about this, Melissa, simple, basic, easy to remember and so, so vital. These five things are foundation of building respect and trust in all of our relationships. It’s a great way to tell everyone during every interaction that “you are worthy of respect and I value you and this moment.” I am blessed to have a very good friend who says the same thing near the end of every conversation: “Is there anything else I can do to help you?” It always struck me as inordinately thoughtful, and now I know why… Thanks for another great nugget, all your peeps out here grinding really love these.
Please keep it up! I’m sorry we didn’t meet you sooner, thank you for another excellent message. We can help, just let us know. We need help a lot of the time.
How did I do? Great stuff, Melissa.