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The way we make people feel is far more important than what we say to them. They may not remember our words, but you see the way we make them feel? That can be difficult to forget.
I came across someone in my department today. I don't know this person, but I knew we had spoken only once, during the period of last semester's exams. The crazy thing is, I don't remember what he did or what he said. He must have made a silly comment or something. I sha have no memory of it, but I just had this feeling I couldn't shake off.
An "I don't like this person" feeling. Like I could remember how whatever he did made me feel, even if I couldn't remember what exactly he did. How weird is that?
This made me pause and ask myself: How do I meet people? What experience do I leave people with when they get to meet me?
Psychologically, we know that emotions play a significant role in how we form and retain memories. Sometimes, the details of an encounter may fade, but the emotions attached to that experience remain.
And it got me thinking about how intentional we should be about the way we treat people. Not every interaction has to be extraordinary, and we certainly cannot make everybody happy, but there's something to be said about being mindful of the experiences we create for others.
You may forget what you said to someone five minutes after saying it, but they might carry the feeling of that interaction for much longer.
Dearest reader, what do people feel after interacting with you? Do they leave feeling seen, respected, encouraged and appreciated, or do they leave with an unpleasant feeling they can't quite explain?
May we become more intentional about the people we encounter. After all, we are not just exchanging words with people; we are creating experiences, sometimes without even realising it.
@favvy_Okwansđź–¤.
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