Make The Stamp Of Approval Stick - Grasshopper

Some of us may want to be on a postage stamp but most of us just want a stamp of approval.

Recognition is something we all seek at some level. We want to be recognized to prove we exist and know for certain that we aren’t a figment of our imagination.

 

If you don’t think you need recognition, notice how you feel the next time you’re in line at the grocery store and the checkout person talks to the bagging person the whole time and neither pays you any mind. That annoyance you feel is lack of recognition.

 

We not only want to be recognized but approved of. We may desire to have our actions or accomplishments approved of but that is superficial compared to the deeper approval we seek.

 

The deeper approval we seek is attention to us as a whole. It’s the stamp of approval.

 

One of the biggest rewards you can give to someone is your gift of attention. When you pay someone little attention there is hardly any bonding agent present. You are offering them your disapproval by deeming them not worthy of your attention.

 

The same is the case in reverse. When you don’t get someone’s attention, there is a sense of disapproval that you feel.

 

Giving your attention to someone is giving them the stamp of approval.

 

Pay attention to how little attention you give to most human interactions. When you don’t offer attention, no matter how much you nod and smile, the person on the other end is sensing your disapproval.

 

If you’re going to commit to an interaction, commit also to giving it your full attention, otherwise it’s just an exchange of words in the wind. Nothing sticks!

 

When you give someone your undivided attention, you make them feel like a million bucks. The even better news is you will feel their attention coming back to you enriching you as well.

 

To remind us all of the rewards of attention, perhaps The U.S. Postal Service could issue a “Stamp of Approval.”  I’m sure it would be their biggest seller.

 

All the best,

John