I just received this email from Samesh, one of my recent students:

“I have got to tell you this, I have just had a very productive conversation with one of the most difficult people to reach out to in our group and it just opened a whole new channel of ideas and processes.

“The thing was nobody was listening to this person.   Amazing how the Communication Formula I learned played a role. This person is so hard on the outside, but when I followed the process you taught, I could see emotions for the first time on him, the conversation just calmed him down.

“I am using the Communication Formula in all my interactions; it is just amazing to see the results. Will keep you posted with more stories.

The simplicity of this is profound.  Samesh teaches a vital principle and inspires for a moment when most would simply give up.

If you can imagine how this other person felt.  Imagine if you had the feeling that “Nobody is listening to me.”  Really imagine that for a moment. I work with people who have that feeling and I understand it really well. It’s a horrible feeling.

It surrounds you with hopelessness and deep humiliation.

Then imagine that suddenly, someone who matters sits down and really listens to you.  They really understand what no one else has heard or understood.  Suddenly you’re being heard.

Can you imagine the relief you’d feel?  Have you ever felt that? I have.  And many people I work with have. That relief is a priceless rush of pure happiness.

Imagine new ideas coming out of this conversation, new channels, new processes, a new path forward. You were stuck and suddenly you’ve been released.

Now, imagine that you were Samesh and you were making this happen.

This completely difficult person that no one can reach, hard on the outside, suddenly transformed.

Suddenly you’re connecting. Your exchange of ideas becomes easy, it flows.  Then a rush of new ideas, new ways of looking at things, new ways of moving forward for both of you.

New things you never thought of, new possibilities.

It’s exciting! Exhilarating!  For both of you.

But most important, this person who is hard on the outside TO EVERYONE … suddenly isn’t.

The impossible has happened.  You see positive emotions and warmth you’ve never seen in him before.

You reach each other on a deeply human level.

You made it happen.

Which one of you has been uplifted more?

It’s impossible to uplift another person without being uplifted yourself.  And often you feel that you are even more uplifted than they are. 

The power in Samesh’s email is this simple message: nothing is impossible when it comes to human communication and it’s within your power to do it.

The real message is that power does not lie solely in our ambitions.  But in our deep human connections.

I want you to know, you don’t have to spell it out for me, this has been a hard year.  I know how hard you’ve worked all year.

You’ve had to endure, push through, make it happen, create under impossible circumstances, confront obstacle after obstacle, run marathon after marathon, at work and in your personal life, I’m sure.

I know how much you’ve had to confront and how you’ve created successes despite all obstacles.

This was a year of moving mountains. “Well done!” on the ones you have moved and are determined to move.

I want to take a moment and say that YOU are what’s important. You are the one who gives life purpose, meaning and love.

2021 was better because you were in it.

Protect and cherish the power that is you. Your power to uplift others is a great one.

We all need to be refreshed.  We need to step back and let goodness flow back to us after all the goodness we’ve poured out into this world.  And may it flow back to you in tremendous abundance as you start to close out the year and you find yourself standing on the threshold of a new one. 

I especially wish you many beautiful deep human connections during this time, for these are the source of our greatest joy.

Be the cause!