Friendship
And that’s the end of our first full month (already!), back home in the Netherlands.
One thing that has struck me is the importance of ππ«π’ππ§ππ¬π‘π’π©.
We have spent a large chunk of our first month making lots of new friends and reacquainting ourselves with many old ones too.
As we have visited together, we have laughed, cried, talked, sung, enjoyed meals, walked, played games, hugged, encouraged, helped and above all really listened to one another’s stories and experiences.
It has been a real joy to be with such wonderful friends.
My experience is that all of our interactions together are made more enjoyable and productive when they are accompanied by genuine feelings of friendship.
I remember years ago the counsel from Ralph Waldo Emerson who said βππ‘π π¨π§π₯π² π°ππ² ππ¨ π‘ππ―π π ππ«π’ππ§π π’π¬ ππ¨ ππ π¨π§π.β
To be a good friend, show genuine interest in others, smile, care about them, be kind, be grateful and show respect. Above all…
– ππ Real
– ππ You
– ππ your authentic self!
Being who you are is key!
What kind of friend are you?
Talents
Slow Down
To don’t list!
Baby Steps
The first few steps
A lesson from slippers
Asking Questions
What will you do differently because of what you learned today?
Asked any good questions lately?
Questions can be extremely powerful. They help us to think, feel and do things differently.
We all need to learn how to ask great questions!
Some professionals like doctors, lawyers and journalists are taught how to ask great questions as part of their training.
In my own professional career through sales and coaching, I have found it equally important to be able to formulate and ask the right question.
Questions aid performance, close sales, help provide inspiration and direction, they even help to build trust and rapport.
“Management teams aren’t good at asking questions. In business school, we train them to be good at giving answers.” – Clayton Christensen.
Itβs time to be a little more curious. Asking questions is an important part of life and learning.
As a coach, I am constantly asking questions to help clients move forward.
– What do you really want?
– What do you need most right now?
– So what?
– Why now?
– How can you be truer to yourself?
– Can you tell me more?
What question can you use today to unlock your own potential?