Take a moment and think about someone who has been in your thoughts recently.  Someone you feel might be struggling right now, even if it might not appear that way on social media.  Someone you’ve wondered about and how this situation is impacting them.  Someone who has had a positive impact on your life and may not even know it.  Someone you’ve been meaning to reach out to but just haven’t made time.  Write their name down on a piece of paper.

Now more than ever we need to know that we matter to others.  When we are not confined to our houses for the majority of the week, we get to interact with one another and we are filled up by the hugs, smiles, jokes, emotional exchanges and camaraderie of being together throughout the day.  Despite how many zoom calls we are on, there is no way to replicate what a positive impact all of those things had on us on a daily basis prior to the situation we are in.

We are all trying to adapt to this new way of living.  It’s impacting how we work, parent, think, shop, and communicate.  We can easily get caught up in our own challenges, especially when we are trying to juggle so many things at once in a confined space.  The urgent can quickly take priority over what is really important.  And at this time, it’s critical for us to take a moment and get out of our own heads and to let others know that they are not alone.  When we reach out to someone and let them know we care about them, it not only brings joy to them, it fills our own hearts, our souls and strengthens us.  Expressing genuine gratitude for another person is one of the most powerful forces and has a lengthy list of positive impacts on our mental, physical and emotional health.

Look at the name you wrote down.  Don’t wait any longer to reach out to that person.  This is your prompt to take action.  Call them right now, write a card to them, send an email or even just a text to let them know that you are thinking about them and that they matter to you.  To bring joy to someone else in this way is an amazing gift that we don’t give often enough.  If you can get in the habit of doing this every day, you will make an incredibly positive impact on the lives of those you care about and it may just be the best way to help yourself tackle the challenges of tomorrow.

*Each week I share a leadership message with our team and we are honored to share it with you via MIBE Tribe.  MIBE (the acronym for Make It Better Everyday) Tribe delivers education on heart leadership and intentional culture building for the hospitality industry.