“Are you Norman?” Smiling, I approach my counterpart on this Saturday morning at 7:55 am at the Lausitzring venue. “Yes sir – I am. Are you Frank?” Frank nods and smiles, and we enthusiastically shake hands. Frank is the tour manager of the band STAHLZEIT, who will be playing at the festival this Saturday evening. And in the first second, I sense that he’s one of “us.”
What do I mean by “one of us”? Do you remember my Sunday inspiration from two weeks ago? MMFI? Does that ring a bell? No? Make Me Feel Important. You should see this sentence written on your counterpart’s forehead if you want to leave a lasting impression on this person.
While Frank and I sort out the most important question of the day (Where can we get breakfast for the band? 😊), we meet many people who will also be part of the STAHLZEIT festival experience. Jenny, Anke, Thomas, Timo, Wolf, and many more. What immediately strikes me is that Frank addresses each of them by their name after they’ve introduced themselves, which instantly brings an unconscious smile to his counterpart’s face.
So, based on this experience, I want to give you a few ideas on how you can positively inspire other people. After all, we all want to be appreciated, understood, and seen by others, right? So here they are:
Listen actively:
I’ve written about this a few weeks ago as well. Some people talk all the time, others only say something when asked, and then there are those genuinely interested in a conversation. Regardless, listening is the key to someone’s heart. Whether you, like Frank, remember the name of your counterpart (and not just for 2 seconds, but at least for the duration of your time together) or pay attention to other things they share with you. When we truly listen to others, they feel seen and valued. This shows that we are interested in their ideas, thoughts, or stories. And that is the greatest gift you can give to someone. Why? Because your brain filters out what you should consciously perceive from the thousands of impressions bombarding your five senses every second. And what would that be? Only things that interest you. So, if someone shows genuine interest in you and remembers things about you, your brain knows that you must be important to them.
Be grateful:
“I love you.” I left this note for Anke on the bathroom mirror before heading to the festival site. I also left two more messages next to her power bank and attached to her car door. So, what does this mean for you? Show your fellow human beings that you are grateful for them. It can be a simple message telling them that you appreciate them or a small gift to show that you are thinking of them. A simple gesture = a big impact.
Be empathetic:
Be compassionate towards other people and their needs. Look at things from their perspective and reframe annoying situations (remember my blue glasses). How do you do that in concrete terms? Focus on the positive aspects of a situation and talk about those instead of dwelling on the negatives.
Be a positive energy station:
If you have a positive attitude, share that positive energy. You don’t even need a power cable for this. Be always a role model for others and show them that life is wonderful, even in the dreariest of everyday situations. Infuse positive enthusiasm into the lives of your fellow human beings so that they can also see the passion and joy you see through your blue glasses.
Be open:
Sometimes it can be challenging to understand other people or empathize with their situations. But this is the greatest opportunity for lasting growth and change. By setting aside your own prejudices and opening yourself up to different perspectives, you can grow and help others do the same.
These are some ideas you can implement directly to positively inspire other people. Whether at work or at home. Maybe you also have a few more ideas of your own. Please write them to me because I always love to learn more. The important thing is to recognize that we all have the power to help others through our actions and words, enriching the lives of others. Are you ready to pull together on this and make the world around us even more beautiful? Then let’s get started.
Much love and have a fantastic week.
