I smiled at Brett Wilson.
Sun on my face.
Layin' out on a sail boat.
Breathing in that ocean air.
My lil’ jaunt to British Columbia proved to be a very fun-filled trip. I visited with friends I hadn't seen in years, enjoyed sunsets and sparkling water on patios and thought to myself that this coastal lifestyle is something I could really get used to.
On my last day, my friend Graden and I were laughing on the way to the airport at how we never seem to learn the rule about making sure to apply extra sun tan lotion when out on the water. Didn't we learn this as kids and how old are we now?
So there I was with a bright red sunburned face, making my way through the security line at the airport and I look up to see one of my most admired entrepreneurs - Mr. Brett Wilson. Some of you may recognize him from Dragon's Den. What I noticed in an instant was he was sunburned too! To my eyes, we were the reddest faces within site...so I just simply smiled at him.
Now I don't expect him to remember me at all but the reason I smiled was that I humanized him. ‘I have a red face and so do you, you're human and so am I = smile.’ Simple.
The key to humanizing others is to see the big picture instantly and how we are just a couple of humans making our way through this world, looking for a lot of the same things – respect, connection, love, etc.
You see, many moons ago, I had a role in casting for film and television and I would be chatting with well-known people all the time. Often the conversation would turn to a desire to just be treated like a normal human being. They weren’t complaining at all because when you choose acting as a career, you accept that may very well be something you deal with. It was a desire to just be themselves and connect with others on a very basic level.
Basic human connection is often overlooked when we are busy statusizing people around us.
Coaching exercise for you:
Think of people in your life you treat differently and maybe not even intentionally. Who do you get nervous around? Could be a co-worker, someone you have a bit of a crush on, a family member. Whoever it is, the next time you are around them, make an effort to remember, “I’m human, you’re human and that’s all there is to it”. See how this affects how you feel around them and become more aware of how you might categorize people in your life as being better than you.
There’s just simply no such thing as status at the end of the day. It’s something we make up in our mind and project onto others we think have accomplished more.
Humanize others more. See what happens.
I would love to hear your thoughts on this! Leave a comment below.
To your authenticity,
Love, Christine