[11/10/2014]
Ripples #807: Validation.
PEBBLE
Be somebody
who makes everybody
feel like a somebody.
-Kid President, shared by Kimmi in Oxford, MS
BOULDER
Every single person
you will ever meet
shares a common desire.
They want to know:
“Do you see me?
Do you hear me?
Does what I say
mean anything to you?”
-Oprah Winfrey
PONDER
This week’s Boulder is from the finale of “The Oprah Winfrey Show;” I know some people aren’t big fans of hers, but overall I think she has helped many people (including me) discover and share their best selves. In this particular segment, Oprah explained that she thought most of the work she did on her daily show was about validating her guests: creating a space where they felt seen and heard. She went on to suggest that we didn’t need to have a stage in order to validate someone, just a sincere intention to communicate, “I see you. I hear you. What you say matters to me.” I think that it is worth noting that you don’t have to AGREE with someone in order to validate them—just let them speak their truth and recognize it as true for them.
Can you think of coworker, classmate, or neighbor who might not feel seen or heard? What could happen if you temporarily suspended your usual pattern of ignoring, avoiding, or fighting them and instead make an effort to see, hear, and acknowledge their perspective and their humanity? It might not be easy, but it might just be worth it. For them AND for you. Try it, and lemme know how is goes, mkay?
Peace,
Paul
The Ripples Guy
p.s. Thanks for a great dose of quote submissions over the past few weeks; please continue to keep your eye out for unique, brief and powerful quotes and submit them either through the link below OR by just replying to Ripples and including the source and your name/location.
