A commitment to building greater relationships
It was about 3 weeks ago as I was listening to an audiobook I recently bought that I decided to challenge myself. What was the challenge you may be asking? I would be lying if I said it was this big esoteric thing that changed my life, however it was a major shift that has made an incredible change in my life!
The challenge I decided to embark upon was to respond to everyone, that’s right everyone who reaches out to me both via call/text. Or even on social media, some social media accounts that I’m not even active on. I am very guilty of doing this in the past, and by past I’m referring to a month ago. I would be doing something/working and I’d receive a phone call or text message. It may have been a request for the moment and not needed by the time I got to my phone. Yet what would I do, I would just not respond. Or get a nice comment on a post or picture, and not respond to it. Not even a “Like” on the comment itself, I knew something had to change.
I wanted and expected others to have the courtesy of responding to me when I reached out to them via social media or more importantly via text/phone call. Yet it wasn’t something I was living out personally, sometimes and I’m pointing the finger at myself we don’t inspect what we expect from others. We don’t act in the same way we expect others to, and in order for our circumstances to change we have to be the first one to change.
The Bible is clear “you reap what you sow” you don’t necessarily reap where you sow as my Pastor would say. That is a profound thought, so after weeks of this going on whether the message, call, or social media post called for a response. I was on it to respond/call back/text back every single person.
The results? Well I must say in just 3 short weeks I’ve noticed first and foremost the level of contentment within myself has increased tremendously! Knowing I’m building upon the foundation of the relationships/friendships I already have. As well as building new foundations upon others has been a blessing!
I’ve noticed more and more people reaching out from my past whether it be High School or college days. I want to thank Gary Vee and his approach on life that begun this shift in me. For a guy who has millions of followers to respond to me individually via Snapchat opened up my eyes to the fact that “wow I have no excuse to not respond to my friends.” So this is my continued commitment to excellence in the area of relationships, not that it means everyone I ever reach out to will reciprocate my same behavior. However I know God’s principles remain true and it will pay off with a harvest in other relationships that I may not have cultivated if I didn’t respond to a simple Instagram comment, Facebook comment, or Tweet. Let alone a text message or phone call.
My question is this, will you take this same step in your life? You never know the impact it will have on someone else’s life that you cared enough to respond to them. That you see them and they are important!
Let’s go out there and love people, and serve them!
