Think of yourself as a host or hostess on your job—initiate conversations, volunteer help, keep your antenna up for anyone who needs a word of encouragement. This is how we show Christ’s love in a world that is starving for kindness and compassion.



I’ve heard one of the Boy Scout’s mottos is to “leave it better than you found it.” Imagine how much nicer our worlds would be if we all practiced that regularly—leaving everything better than we found it.



If your goal for every relationship was to leave that person better than you found him or her, how would that improve your relationships? It means you would be thinking about the other person and not about yourself—which is a really good thing. No doubt you would listen more than you talk, you would offer to help where you could, you would offer words of encouragement.



People don’t remember so much what we do or how well we do it, but they do remember how we made them feel. Have you ever thought about how you make other people feel? I’m sure you’ve thought about how other people make you feel. But let’s reverse that and ask ourselves, “How do I make other people feel?”



Some people make us feel insignificant. Others intimidate us. Some people make us feel like failures. They may not intend to give off those vibes, but something in their manner or the way they treat you gives you that impression. Stop and ask yourself: Do I unintentionally do that to others?



I have learned I can send negative messages to others because of my tendency to be very project oriented and very focused on getting a job done. In the process, I can miss opportunities to recognize people along the way and let them know they are important to me. I’ve become very intentional about changing that bad habit and I intentionally try to connect with others, especially strangers or people who look a little left out.



What kind of messages do you send to others? Do they sense you are a caring person; do you exude an attitude of acceptance and warmth? Do you initiate connections—with greetings, asking questions, and starting conversations? It isn’t hard—and it’s very rewarding. Don’t forget—people remember how you make them feel, so do what you can to make them feel cared for and important.