Make Others Feel Significant

We finally synced up our schedules and were sitting at dinner engaged in conversation. She asked me what was going on in my life, she seemed interested. I enthusiastically shared the ups and the downs. 

As I was mid-sentence, pouring my heart and soul out...she reached down and picked up her phone, looking at it with intent.  

WOW! A crushing feeling of being insignificant hit me. I guess what I was saying wasn’t very important; maybe I’m not very important??

We have so many distractions. It’s not just our phones that cause us to detach from conversations, it’s all the noise in our society. Our pace is so crazy that we’re constantly thinking of other stuff...even when we’re opening the mail or backing out of the driveway. 

How many times has someone been talking to me and it’s like I hear the words but they are not registering in my brain because I’m thinking about something else... 

...you’re preparing dinner and your child comes home from school sharing something that’s important to them but you totally tune them out and give canned responses. 

...Or you’re talking to a friend while doing your email and as she shares a story you suddenly realize you have no idea what she said.

You would not be able to explain back what they said if your life depended on it. 

 Unless you’re a surgeon or have some life or death circumstances that you need to be aware of…

Turn off the ringer on your phone when you’re visiting with others or stop what you’re doing and focus on the other person. 

I certainly don’t want to feel insignificant and I definitely don’t want to be the cause of someone else feeling that way. 

Let’s take the time to make others feel significant. How nice is that? 

Turn the ringer off your phone for a day, and let me know how it goes for you!