Happy Holidays!

My wish for you for these end of year celebrations? Connection!

“How are you?” Probably the most useless three words in our communication. The person asking doesn’t really want to know, and the person answering doesn’t really want to tell. Though at times it’s fine, there are moments where it’s a missed opportunity for connection.

In these end-of-year celebrations, I would like to invite you to truly connect with family and friends by having deeper and more meaningful conversations.

When you ask someone how they are, truly listen to the answer and become curious. Ask follow up questions with an open mind with the aim of discovering something you admire the person has done or become in 2022. Give an acknowledgement – coming from the heart.

When you are being asked how you are, don’t put on a mask stating everything is ‘great’, which it could be of course! Bring the conversation to another level and share something about yourself in 2022. What are you grateful for? What have you learned about yourself this year? Who have you become?

Alright, I hear saboteur voices here: Do I have to share everything about myself?? No, you don’t. However, you can share something giving a glimpse of who you’ve become.

Such as:

• This year I learned to make conscious choices about …… (fill in the blank, food/friends/work/health)
• I learned to say No. (and explain why you decided to do so and how it changed your life)
• I worked on keeping a better work-life balance, which wasn’t easy but totally worth it because… (fill in the blank).
• I attended pottery classes which were fabulous!

You get the drift. From there, open up a conversation in which you are bound to learn something about each other! Try it out. 

And yes, you need to think about your growth in 2022. The statements above can help you come to insights.

Happy Holidays!!