“In every encounter we either give life or we drain it; there is no neutral exchange.” – Brennan Manning
Of all the gifts that we could ever give to another person, none holds more potential than giving life itself. And I love the idea that every interaction I have with another human being offers me that grand opportunity.
It doesn’t matter if my next encounter is a short conversation, an email, a meal, or a 4-hour business meeting, it always offers me the same opportunity… to brighten another’s existence by breathing life into theirs.
Once correctly understood and applied, this simple, profound thought calls us to be more intentional, more thoughtful, and more persistent. It calls us to…
- Smile more.
- Hug more.
- Give more compliments.
- Write more love notes.
- Offer more forgiveness.
- Ask more follow-up questions.
- Show more interest.
- Have more compassion.
- Talk to more children.
- Remember more names.
- Leave bigger tips.
- Use kinder words.
- Laugh at more jokes.
- Make more eye contact.
- Treat others to more coffee.
- Listen more intently.
- Give more time.
- Stop to catch-up longer.
- Promote others more often.
- Be more optimistic.
- Be more sympathetic.
- Be more patient.
- Celebrate more successes.
- Ask to pray more often.
- Dream bigger dreams for others.
- Cook more meals.
- Ask elders for more advice.
- Spend more time reminiscing with old friends.
- Donate more to charity.
- Remember more details.
- Sing more songs.
- Display more affection.
- Give more apologies.
- Focus less on differences.
- Invite more to come along.
- Read more books to your child.
- Offer to help more often.
- Trust more.
- Give more responsibility.
- Say more thank-you’s.
Give more life. Because there, you’ll find more for yourself as well.
Zernike says
Oh, perfect timing!! I am heading out to a meeting this morning with completely the wrong attitude, as in “I have to do this” and your message just now completely turned it around for me. Now, I am looking forward to it, as I have a LOT to give these people! Thanks so much. :)
Eleni says
What wonderful reminders! Thank you!
Jurino says
What a great list! This is one of those posts that should be printed out and stuck to our fridges ;)
As for talking about giving life.. let’s not forget the actual giving of life.. birthing and taking care of our children! What could be greater than that?
greetings from the Netherlands
Christa says
I totally agree, this needs to be a constant reminder in our lives. :)
Kaye says
That’s exactly what I thought…it was printing out as I read your comment…God must have sent confirmation through you that I need to do this. :) I love this man’s insight…he is helping me to re-examine and aspire to be a better person and change my priorities. <3
Kat@YeOldCollegeTry says
In going through classes for a degree in counseling, we were consistently taught techniques and interventions. However, my professors were also quick to remind us that the greatest indicator of positive change in the counseling process is the strength of the relationship between client and counselor. The way we connect with others is so important! Our contact with others is life-giving or life-draining. Great list.
Joshua | The Minimalists says
Amen to showing more interest (#7). If we are conscious about that one thing we can build much stronger connections very quickly.
Thanks for forty nice reminders.
Joshua Millburn
Marci@OvercomingBusy says
That list should be one of our top priorities during our day! Just think how we and others would change!
Mandi @ Life Your Way says
I love “breathing life” into strangers through smiles, a kind word, a shared joke, a generous tip with a heartfelt thank you, etc,
Unfortunately, I don’t think I do this nearly as much with the people who matter most — my husband and kids. I’d like to start looking at my interactions with them through this lens, though, and stop wasting opportunities!
Kat @ Kat Simplified says
One has to be more mindful or present to use your suggestions. Sometimes I find myself on “auto-pilot” and suddenly time has passed and I couldn’t tell you what the grocery store clerk looked like or what I talked about with a co-worker. Great reminder to slow down and open up. 40 lovely ways to make someone’s day better.
Jill Foley says
Wonderful list and I love the quote by Brennan Manning! Thank you for all your positive, thought-provoking posts.
Living the Balanced Life says
Ah, herein lies the key… “to be more intentional, more thoughtful, and more persistent”
You have a great list of things to give more life to others and to ourselves, but most of these won’t happen accidentally. It has to be intentional or it probably won’t happen, if you are like 95% of humankind, selfish and self-serving.
Thanks for putting this reminder out there for all of us to see! What a better world it would be it we each did one of these things once a day!
Bernice
Letting go of who I thought I was supposed to be
joshua becker says
Hey Bernice
In case I haven’t mentioned it before, thanks for visiting and always adding such encouraging comments. I appreciate it. I always know that whatever comes below “Living the Balanced Life” Is gonna be nice to read.
Joshua
Living the Balanced Life says
Oh Joshua!
I just now saw your reply to me on this post! Thank you so much! Here is to a great 2012!
Bernice