Being in service is about supporting others through their own personal growth process.
I wrote about the importance of being in service in a recent newsletter and suggested the following,
At the end of the day, being in service to others is empowering. It empowers the people around you, because you’ve shown up ready to support them in their own personal journey, and it empowers you because it feels good to do so…..
…..Bottom line: It feels good to be in service.
And when you feel good, you feel more confident.
So…..it’s probably fair to say that when you’re in service, you build confidence.
One way to build confidence is by acknowledging others.
For a variety of reasons, people tend to shy away from acknowledging others.
It could be that you’re not feeling great about your current state of being, or maybe you’re feeling frustrated that you’re not progressing on a project, or perhaps you’re feeling angry and it’s being projected as jealousy towards others.
Any of these situations could potentially hold you back from recognizing and acknowledging the greatness in others and you.
Because…..remember, when you “see” greatness in others, it’s because you “see” it in yourself.
Like any skill development, acknowledging others takes practice.
Perhaps it comes easy to you; perhaps not.
Either way, The 7 Principles of Acknowledgment – an excerpt from “The Power of Acknowledgment” by Judith W. Umlas – is a great list for you to consider….
1. Practice on people you don’t know well: The world is full of people who deserve to be acknowledged. It will be easier to acknowledge those you care most about if you start by practicing your acknowledgment skills on people you don’t know very well, or even know at all. Then you will begin making the world a happier place.
2. Build intimacy and meaning: Acknowledgment builds intimacy and creates powerful interactions. Acknowledge the people around you directly and fully, especially those with whom you are in an intimate relationship. What is it about your spouse, your daughter, your uncle, your oldest colleague or subordinate that you want to acknowledge? Look for ways to say how much you value them, and then be prepared for miracles!
3. Remove jealousy: Acknowledgment neutralizes, defuses, deactivates and reduces the effect of jealousy and envy! Acknowledge those you are jealous of, for the very attributes you envy. Watch the envy diminish and the relationship grow stronger as you grow to accept valuable input from the person you were envying.
4. Boost energy: Recognizing good work leads to high energy, great feelings, high-quality performance and terrific results. Not acknowledging good work causes lethargy, resentment, sorrow and withdrawal. Recognize and acknowledge good work, wherever you find it. It’s not true that people only work hard if they worry whether you value them. Quite the opposite!
5. Truth makes a difference: Truthful, heartfelt and deserved acknowledgment always makes a difference, sometimes a profound one, in a person’s life and work. Rarely given acknowledgments have no more value than frequent ones. Sincere praise should not be withheld due to fear of diminishing returns, of appearing inappropriate or out of embarrassment. These obstacles can and should be overcome in order for you and your recipients to reap the tremendous rewards.
6. Improve emotional and physical: It is likely that acknowledgment can improve the emotional and physical health of both the giver and the receiver. There is already substantial scientific evidence that gratitude and forgiveness help well-being, alertness and energy, diminish stress and feelings of negativity, actually boosting the immune system. It is reported that they can even reduce the risk of stroke and heart failure. This research leads us to believe that acknowledging others has similar effects.
7. Build a repertoire: Practice different ways of getting through to the people you want to acknowledge. Develop an acknowledgment repertoire that will give you the tools to reach out to the people in your life in the different ways that will be the most meaningful to each situation and each person.
