Extra Drive

When we moved two years ago, a pool was a top priority. We decided we wanted to have a home where our teenagers would want to invite their friends to hang out. We found a house with a pool. Mission accomplished. Now comes the education process of learning how to maintain the pool. Growing up in Florida we had a pool, and my dad maintained it himself, so I figured I could handle it.As the weather warmed up last week, I thought I would be proactive and run a water sample up to a pool supply store to see if I needed to get things up and running on the chemical front. I walked into an empty store and inquired if most people were opening their pools yet. The response? “It’s totally up to you.”I proceeded to ask a series of questions to a man who was incredibly knowledgeable about pool chemistry. He tested my water and had an answer for every question I asked. There was only one problem. He made me feel like a complete idiot. I’m sure it wasn’t his intention, but I left there thinking I’d probably never go back to that store; it would be worth the extra drive to another location if it meant avoiding a repeat of that experience.As I walked out, the question occurred to me: do I ever cause someone to make an extra drive? The old saying “No one cares what you know until they know that you care” was playing out in front of my eyes. Just like the brilliant doctor that will be avoided for poor bedside manner, I experienced poor poolside manner!There’s something that lives within each one of us that thrives when we feel like we’re able to be an expert on a topic. Whether it’s in the corporate boardroom, teaching our children, or at a dinner party, it feels good to be able to be the knowledgeable one on a given subject. Quite honestly, most of us spend way too much time thinking about how we feel and not enough time considering how we make others feel.So, my challenge to you is this: would you take the next 24 hours and dedicate it to being attentive to making those around you feel good? Speak positive things. Smile as you go about your day. Hold off on proving your point and lean into making others around you glad they were in your presence.It’s as basic as the Golden Rule found in Luke 6:31:

Treat others the same way you want them to treat you.

For one day. You can do that. What do you have to lose? Let me know your reflections on your 24 hours. Ready… set… encourage! twitter | facebook