By Ed Trainor
An aristocratic lady on separate occasions dined with two of Queen Victoria’s Prime Ministers. When she dined with Gladstone, she said she felt like she was dining with the most important person in the world. With Disraeli, she felt like he was dining with the most important person in the world.
All of us carry around an invisible sign that says, “Make Me Feel Important.” At times, our sign becomes tattered and torn through life’s events. Our most frequent response to this is to shake our sign. One way we do this is through anger. The more our self-esteem is involved, the more irritated or angry we become. The more secure we are in our self-worth, the calmer we can remain.
A gift we can give ourselves and others is to make them feel important. Some ways we might do this:
(1) Genuine compliments. Don’t say it unless you really mean it.
(2) Notice. I once said to a co-worker, “That’s a colorful sweater.” Her response: “Thank you.”
(3) Ask questions. It can be as simple as “How is your day going”.
(4) Listen. We can all do a better job at this. We can then ask questions about what they are saying.
(5) Focus on them. Good eye contact. No phones. No looking around.
The positive energy we give others has a way of returning to us. Enjoy 2025.
Peace, Joy, and Love, Ed
Ed Trainor, Ed is an avid reader of the Guide; you can reach him at mred48126@yahoo.com