In the US this week, people will be practicing gratitude and thankfulness. In October, Canadians did the same. Show people you value them with gratitude and emotional intelligence.
I share in a weekly live stream with some folks, and last week we spoke about gratitude on our Keep The Learning On call: There’s No Attitude Like Gratitude. This week we’ll be talking about Emotional Intelligence.
There is a lot of stress and anxiety this year with restrictions imposed due to a global pandemic, it can be easy to forget how to be grateful for others. However you celebrate, please consider a challenge using emotional intelligence in the form of an act of graciousness.
Please think about how many people have gone out of their way to do something nice for you in the past, based on a quick ask from you.
Here’s the challenge – think about how you can do something nice for them.
Time is Money
When asking someone who is ‘good at something’ to share their knowledge and talent, a friend usually does it as a favour to us, without wanting anything in return.
We all do this, for example:
- Someone is a great writer, so you ask if they can help with your blog post.
- A friend has an amazing speaking voice, so you ask if they have time to do a quick recording for the intro to your podcast.
- You have an artist friend who’s good at painting dogs and ask if they could do one for you.
- Your friend is an amazing leadership coach and you need some help sorting something out, so they give you a few hours of their time because they care about you.
For many of these people, they will ask for nothing in return. But, what you have asked for is their time, and sometimes materials, both of these are the same as asking someone to give you money.
How? Let’s break it down:
- It will cost you $500.00+ to hire a ghostwriter to write your blog.
- The Market says it will cost you over $200.00 for a 2-minute voice-over recording.
- It can also cost you anywhere from $500-$3000 for a beautiful or interesting piece of artwork.
- It will most likely cost you between $250-$500 hr for general leadership coaching.
WOW, you have a friend, someone who values you, wants to help you, cares about you enough to translate their valuable time, which is money, without asking for anything in return. They spent hours doing it, and they delivered.
Most people making a living with their talent don’t need ‘exposure’ or ‘practice’, you asked them to share their knowledge or talent and they agreed.
Now, the challenge!
Start by making a list of the kick-ass people in your life from whom you asked a favour. Take your time to think about it.
Your Act of Grace
If you’re not reciprocating with the kind of time (which is money) in a shared give and take, then you’re taking something that benefits you and is given out of the good graces of your friend. My challenge to you today is to reach out to those friends and tell them how much you appreciated the kind of time it took to go out of their way and help you with something.
Now go a few steps further…
- Search the cost of hiring what they did for you. Breathe that in. Imagine, you have a friend who gave of their time and talent (which is money) to make your life better. What a lucky person you are – GRATITUDE!
- Now, reach out to each friend on your list and thank them. Then ask, is there anything they need from you?
Likely, they won’t ask for anything big, but we are in a weird and tough year where appreciation can go a very long way. If nothing else, you may just find out you feel so much better having appreciated the people around you who care enough to have given their very valuable time. You may not need to give it now, wait until it’s reasonable, but give back as much as possible.
To dear friends who have given to me, I thank you and am so grateful you are in my life – what can I do for you today?
Reach out, I’m happy to help!
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