The great theologian Austin Powers came up with a brilliant statement in one of his three documentaries. It poignantly derived both a simple problem and solution all at once. While walking through a crowded room he pointed at a random person and stated loudly, “THERE you are…you’re there!”
One may think that he was saying, in effect, nothing. However, he was saying so much more. You see, he was at the very least stating that he noticed the other person. In a room full of people, at least one person noticed you. One person, who seemed to matter (at least in his own mind), realized that you were at this party.
Further, there is something that he didn’t do. He didn’t draw excess attention to you. So, if you were at this event and wondering if anyone cared, now you know. At least one person does. However, if you were worried that someone was going to come crashing into your personal space, that didn’t happen either. He simply acknowledged you and moved on.
Ok truth be told, as most of you know by now, Austin Powers was not a theologian but rather a caricature of a human being/superhero. It was not a documentary but one of his movies. He was not being altruistic but rather quite fake and superficial. However, everything that he did, that I listed above, can be done by you in a very positively impactful way.
Anyone in your world at any point in time (not necessarily a crowded party) can wonder, “Do I matter?” They very well may be thinking, “Does anyone really notice me?” In darker times they go so far as to ponder, “If I wasn’t around anymore, would anyone care?”
You do not have to dawn a super hero costume. You do not need to script the perfect words. You don’t even have to really “do” anything. To whatever extent, you simply need to acknowledge that they exist. In so doing you will be telling them that they matter, that they are noticed.
Who are these people that think like this you ask? Here’s the beautiful secret…it’s everyone, even you. We all wonder from time to time if anyone ever notices when we are somewhere or aren’t there at all. If we exist there long enough we can get to the point where we aren’t sure anyone cares if we are around at all.
Here is the 15 (or 2) step way to go about this. Think of (or pray and ask) who needs to know that you care about them. Call them, send them a quick text, message them, nod at them, email them, send them a card, lift your head a notch when you see them, go so far as to even pointing at them. You’re done. You have blessed them greatly.
The other lovely little secret to doing this for everyone is that you really can’t be wrong. No one is so busy or overwhelmed with their life that a simple acknowledgement isn’t appreciated. You’re not asking to meet, you’re not requiring a 30 minute phone call, you actually don’t even need a response from them. So, no matter what name you come up with, it should be appreciated.
It took you as little as one second, it may have gone as long as one minute but you have blessed someone greatly by, in effect, saying, “There you are…you’re there.” Try it.