It’s Saturday morning, and once again I am sitting here with my jumbo-sized coffee cup strategically placed within arm’s reach. This past week brought with it some interesting moments. Ah, the word, “interesting”; so many meanings, don’t you think?
I can describe something as interesting, and you might think I am referring to a situation that fascinated me. Or it might just be that the word took on an entirely different connotation. In this particular case, it is the latter.
All week I found myself questioning these ‘interesting’ moments trying to figure out the what/why (I knew the who/when/where part of the equation!) of it all. So here is what I took away from these ‘interesting’ moments.
I might forget what people said (or for that matter, what they didn’t say) to me, but I certainly won’t forget how they made me feel. When it comes down to it, isn’t that the way we humans are wired? You might recollect a time when you had an absolute blast at a party. But the takeaway will more than likely be the feeling of ‘having a great time’, as opposed to details of who said what.
This really had me thinking about how important it is to be cognizant of the incredible power our actions and words can hold. They possess a lot of weight when it comes to leaving lasting impressions as to how others felt about them. Think back to a time in your own life when something someone did made you feel great. That feeling has stayed with you, perhaps for a long, long time. You might also recall a time when someone’s comments (or lack thereof) still conjure up hurtful feelings or resentment.
At the crux of it all, our memories are made up of varied components of events, but the most impacting will be how it made you feel. I guess that is why I think it’s extremely important to be mindful to think before we engage in turning a haphazard comment into an unpleasant memory for someone. On the other hand, when we say something kind or show a gesture of compassion, the feelings the person will have might be impactful in ways you could never imagine. They’ll remember it, and no doubt the feeling of appreciation will stay with them forever. Pretty strong things, our words and actions.
As for me, why, I’m taking away from this past week a lot of wonderful feelings to fill up the ‘ol memory bank. A few clunkers have crept in there too; however, I’m going to attempt to get rid of those in order to make more room for the marvelous memories! Shift over, crappy comments; the good feelings are taking over your space!
The Chicago Files 