I have two pieces of jewelry that are unique in that they were designed and made for me by a master jeweler.
Recently I was in a petrol station and the attendant commented on the jewelry. This was not unusual as I receive many comments when I wear the pieces. It was his genuine interest in not only the pieces but what inspired me to have such unique jewelry made for me that got my attention. He really wanted to understand me! In the end, I had to tell him that I needed to leave as I was running late for an appointment.
My partner and I regularly eat at the same coffee shop and we know some of the wait staff. We were attended to by a person we had never seen before recently and she had an interesting accent. My partner asked her where she was from. When she replied “Estonia” we began a conversation around traveling and her experiences in Australia. She was genuinely excited and grateful that we had shown an interest in her, beyond ordering our breakfast.
My favorite thought leader, Seth Godin, posted recently about the 4 TED imperatives and how they can also be applied beyond TED. With the previous two stories swimming around in my head, I was drawn to imperative number one, “Be Interested.” You see, I don’t think many people are that interested beyond their own wants and needs.
Perhaps with so much information so readily available we have become less interested as we scan items without really engaging with them, rush to get projects completed on time and see people as resources rather than human beings. How many times do you stop and just talk with someone? How often do you ask interesting questions of a colleague? Do you know the major challenge that is facing your child/partner/colleague/manager at the moment?
Think about a typical day and how much time you spend “telling” compared with “asking.” If you spend the majority of your time telling, consider what you might be missing out on. This is as relevant for the workplace as it is for your home life.
Ask questions, be interested. Life is much more meaningful that way.
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3 Comments
Great post. I think being interested in others also helps us to avoid our own tendencies to get overly involved in our own issues. It broadens our frame of reference and reminds us that the world is bigger than ourselves. Thanks for the reminder.
Judy,
You embody this so well! I see you doing it all the time and it is lovely. People are interesting if we show genuine curiosity aren’t they?
Rachel
Thanks Rachel for your kind words. One of the reasons that I love catching up with you is because you are interested in people and ask lots of questions. Yes, I think people are really interesting if we take the time to get to know them and put aside our own ego for a moment.