Build-up Others
leverage our responsibilities to bless others.
My hope and aspiration is that more and more people will experience a life of love, connection, and joy. I believe this Core Value greatly furthers the probability of this being true! If we concentrate our efforts on Building-up Others, I believe we will love others better and more freely - and if we love better, I believe we will experience a life that thrives.
In the Core Value description of Fail Forwards, I mention that we are only responsible for four things in life. The things we think, the things we feel, the things we say, and the things we do. We are able to respond (responsible) for these four things alone.
Therefore, we should strive with all our hearts and minds to Build-up Others in the way we think. I believe this looks like taking a close inventory on the thoughts that cross our minds, and then recognize the nasty little voices that want me to label that person or dismiss them. You see, I believe our thoughts are very powerful, and if I'm thinking judgmental or negative on others, it will show up in other areas of my life….and my guess is that it won't be pretty.
I believe we can Build-up Others in how we feel as well. I'm not talking about not feeling the pain of being smacked in the face, I'm talking about taking responsibility for the emotions that flood my mind towards others. Again, if we are feeling disrespected or dismissed by someone, we can take proactive steps to remedy those emotions. We can vulnerably seek clarity, we can express our feelings, and we can try to see things from their perspective. Ultimately, it is a choice or decision to feel resentment, bitterness, and rage because we can also choose empathy, concern, and grace.
Isn't it strange how another's words can shape your day…and in some cases shape your life. If you've had an influential parent, teacher, coach, or boss speak positively in your life, you may be a living testimony to the power of affirming words. Unfortunately, many influential people speak negative words into our lives. These words also have the power to shape our lives with layers of insecurities, limiting beliefs, and scars. Building-up Others and taking responsibility for the words we say mean that we intentionally take an inventory of the words we say and leverage our words to bless, inspire, encourage, affirm, thank, and express love to others.
In all we do, we should seek to Build-up Others by the way respond and act towards people. If we're looking to knock someone down or even have a neutral impact, we will fail to Build-up Others and actually hinder ourselves from the lives we really want.
I believe if we really want to see the world become a better place, it starts with us - it starts by recognizing the power of love and then choosing to build up others in all that we think, feel, say and do! If we wait to engage in the world until it becomes a more gentle place, we will probably waste our lives because making the world a better place begins by addressing the selfishness in ourselves and then choosing to Build-up Others.
Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing. -Paul