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A Gift of Thoughtfulness in Human Development

Posted on | January 16, 2014 | No Comments

A Gift of Thoughtfulness in Human Development We received a thank-you gift today for holiday gifts we had given to our cousin’s kids. These “kids” are 19, 21, and 24 and not really children but young adults with busy lives of their own. What impressed us was that they took the time – no prodding from their equally thoughtful parents – to collaborate, to research our likes, find the delicious present, and send it. The positive emotional impact of being thought of when we least expect it will linger far longer than the edible gift. Indeed it helps us form a deeper relationship with another generation and hold them in greater esteem for their thoughtfulness. These kids, when younger, drew thank-you notes, and scribbled personal messages in the family holiday cards, so we should not be surprised now, but our professional experience with other people their age has been slightly less positive overall. Daniel Goleman in Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence emphasizes the erosion of empathy in younger generations used to cyber communication. While this may at first appear to be tangential to my point, this lack of empathy, due to minimal facial and body emotional mirroring diminishes communication. Daniel Goleman on Focus Facial and voice-sound/tone contact delivers the nuance of a message. No texted “good job” will ever have the same impact as a back slap or hug and smile for our accomplishments. Cyber communications cannot despite all emoticon attempts ever deliver the connection that humans NEED. Our sense of value, our place in the world, and the esteem (or love) with which others hold us comes from and is supported by our external world. The world expects more from everyone at an earlier age yet at the same time we are breaking down viable, necessary, and rewarding messages that would support our growing responsibilities. And by the way, it takes far longer to type a text than to hit the number on your phone and TALK to someone. Trust me, it will mean much more to them. We won’t know the worth of water until it’s gone folks. Shawn Nichols Shawnnichols.com
Category: Religious and Spiritual
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