The Power of Elevating Others: Steps to Change Your Life for the Better

People often look for elevating themselves rather than elevating others by focusing on their strengths and merits.  It is unfortunate to note. People have become so busy that they don’t find time to care for others.

The world has become ruthless with cutthroat competition. It is a rat race where no one cares about others.  That is the current scenario globally.

God blessed us with life.  If everyone thinks of contributing something to others by whatever means, most of the problems will be resolved and people feel better, bigger and greater.  

However, very few people have the time to think along those lines as they don’t find to think through.

Where will the world go?  Who will save the world and the people?  It is time to think through and do something for others to make a difference.

Make a habit of spending some time daily to listen to people and empathize with them.  It comforts them. If possible, observe people around you and say a few good things and motivate them. Who knows the man whom you motivate might be at the brink of disaster.  

Making others feel important can change the world

Here is a short story of making others feel more important and saving lives. There was a young woman who was walking in the street.  A man who was passing by saw the woman, stopped her shook her hand, and said, “Hi young woman! Where are you going?  You look so beautiful! Have a great day!”  

The woman was shocked at the stranger who shook her hand with warmth and greeted her with a great smile saying that she was looking great.  She was coming back from the medical store with a small bottle in her hand wrapped with a cover.  She was in a great depression as her boyfriend cheated on her and married something another woman.  

She felt let down and depressed.  She lost all her confidence and felt inferior that she was not looking and probably that led her boyfriend to dump her and search for some other woman.  

During the great depression, she went to a medical store to buy poison to end her life.  When she was going back after buying a small bottle of poison, the stranger shook her hand, praised her beauty, and wished her a great day. 

Then she went to her home and looked in the mirror whether she was looking beautiful.  She looked at the mirror several times and began smiling by thinking, “Yes, I am beautiful! What the stranger said was right.  My deserted boyfriend is not lucky enough to enjoy my beauty and she gradually developed confidence.” 

Finally, she threw away the bottle containing poison and she went on to build a great career with a good man and became an international celebrity.   

This story reveals the importance of making others feel important thus saving them from the brink of committing suicide.  We don’t know how much difference we make by praising and elevating others.  

It is essential to appreciate and elevate others. Learn to look at the similarities rather than differences.  Learn to look at the strengths rather than weaknesses because what goes around will come back to you.

“One of the best ways to influence people is to make them feel important. Most people enjoy those rare moments when others make them feel important. It is one of the deepest human desires.” — Roy T. Bennett

Here are a few nuggets to make others feel more important. 

• Listen to the other person with the right body language.  Step into the shoes and empathize.  Nod in agreement appropriately.  If the other person is in distress don’t disturb and allow him/her to ventilate problems.  Then present your solutions. 
• When a person achieves something praise liberally. But be specific and objective to avoid sounding like a flattery. 
• Identify the key strengths of people and praise them whenever and wherever possible. 
• Adopt the mirroring technique where you need to convert your body language as per the other person as it helps in connecting with the other person making him/her feel comfortable and creating a common ground. 
• Remember the fact that people have different needs, egos, emotions, and feelings.  You cannot adopt a fixed approach or style to touch them. You need to identify each person’s situation and issue to touch and strike an emotional chord with them. 
• Above all, always handhold others. 

Remember, it takes several years to build relations but takes a few seconds to break it.  Hence, present a positive attitude and praise and make others feel more important to touch and connect with them emotionally and successfully. 

People might pose a question such as “At a time when people don’t find time for themselves how can they find time for their family and friends and society?”  Yes! It is true.  

As we have responsibility towards our children we have equal responsibility towards of future generations for passing on society’s values and virtues.  Hence, it is time for us to find time to think, act, and make a difference for others to take this human civilization to greater heights of glory not in terms of material but in ideals and ideas.