People and relationship skills are no different than any other skill set.
They must be learned, they need to be practiced, and you will be constantly adjusting and fine tuning.
It’s emotional labour and it’s hard, but it matters the most.
We thrive on connection, community, and we are hard wired to respond to warm fuzzy feelings that we can only get through interaction with other live beings.
As I practice my new skills of speaking up, standing up for what’s right, and showing up in life… I know I haven’t done it perfectly.
I’ve come on too strong, I’ve said the wrong things, I’ve said too much and then not enough, and I’ve had to set boundaries, and then reset boundaries, because I wasn’t clear enough the first time.
I’ve had to apologize to friends for not getting it, I’ve had to work hard to keep my heart open when I want to shut down and stomp away, and I’ve had to learn to love and forgive myself in order to keep trying.
The only way we can level up is to be honest about where we are in our growth and what we don’t know.
Then start trying to learn the skills.
The good thing about life is it gives you endless opportunities to learn how to do better.
In a world filled with robots and artificial intelligence, we can avoid jerks easier than ever. Email, text, and blocking numbers on our phones have helped us avoid difficult conversations and people we don’t want to deal with.
It has become a calling to humanity… embrace love and compassion, practice kindness, and learn the importance of building trust or you will be replaced by a computer.
There is no time like the present to start building your skills.