Do we as a human race not expect enough of each other? As friends, as spouses, as parents, as employees - which ever shoe may fit.
As friends, it seems alright these days to allow a text to 'sit there' until we deem it worthy of a reply if we reply at all. It's true that cell phones have invaded our personal down time instead of being a convenient, "I forgot to ask you to grab milk while you are out", we now have numerous people texting, "what doin" how many times during the day. With land lines we deal with one person at a time, one situation, one story. Give them our undivided attention.
Now we give many people small pieces of attention, possibly at the the cost of what is really important in your world. Take a step back. Think about it for a minute. Are you more worried about texting these people back than calling someone important in your life and having a verbal conversation? Your mom, a close friend you haven't talked to in a few weeks, your cousin... someone important to you but isn't begging for your attention with constant texts. What is the saying? Squeaky wheel gets the oil? Maybe the not so squeaky wheels need some attention too. Is that too much to expect?
As parents, do these not so important texts get in the way of you sitting around the dinner table asking your kids about their day? Possibly your child's phone is taking their attention away from some family activities everyone could be doing together. Board games, family bike rides, having actual verbal conversations with each other ;) Many of us don't expect, or at the very least we find it common and acceptable for people to stare at their phones while sitting beside you at the table or on the couch or in bed. Put it down once in awhile. Make an effort. Even if its one evening a week. Pick that day, silence the phones and live in the here and now with your kids. Make those that matter a priority. Is that too much to expect?
As a spouse/partner do you still make your spouse a priority? We all get in those ruts. Family life, sex life, daily tasks become routine and mundane. Boring if you will. Things need to be kicked up a notch. Throw a wrench into the daily routine. Change your expectations of the day. Surprise your partner with something. Men surprise your woman, Women surprise your man, whoever you decided to spend your life with, or at least decided to spend the here and now with, pay attention to something they like to do and set it up. Don't buy something that you give them and 10 mins later you're both sitting on the couch not talking. Engage in an activity together, give them your undivided attention. Let them know they mean something to you.
As employees for some reason many of us think our employers owe us something before we even start a job. People are offered a job for a certain pay and they accept, for some reason 2 months later they're bitching. I actually had an employee of an establishment say to me, 'what do they expect, it's a minimum wage job' Ummmmm you agreed to take the minimum wage job. If you don't give 80% of your potential, should the employer only pay you 80% of your paycheck? Why should they give you 100% when you aren't doing the same in return? People agreed to the terms of the job upon hire. Yes eventually pay raises are to be expected with performance and cost of living, but I don't know why so many people expect something for nothing. Jobs are an essential evil. Most of us need them to pay the bills. If you were an employer, you wouldn't want to pay someone who was giving a half-assed effort, right? Is that too much to expect employees to give 100%
I'm not an employer, but I just don't understand some of my coworkers thoughts in the past and present about that issue. Things that are important in your life will get the most attention. It might be your spouse, it might be your bff, it might be your mom, it might be your kids, it might be your pet. Whatever or whoever it is, give it the attention it deserves. Don't forget those important people who mean something to you. Remind them you care. Remind them they matter. Take the time to make the effort to single them out once in awhile and make them feel special.
Is that too much to expect?
As friends, it seems alright these days to allow a text to 'sit there' until we deem it worthy of a reply if we reply at all. It's true that cell phones have invaded our personal down time instead of being a convenient, "I forgot to ask you to grab milk while you are out", we now have numerous people texting, "what doin" how many times during the day. With land lines we deal with one person at a time, one situation, one story. Give them our undivided attention.
Now we give many people small pieces of attention, possibly at the the cost of what is really important in your world. Take a step back. Think about it for a minute. Are you more worried about texting these people back than calling someone important in your life and having a verbal conversation? Your mom, a close friend you haven't talked to in a few weeks, your cousin... someone important to you but isn't begging for your attention with constant texts. What is the saying? Squeaky wheel gets the oil? Maybe the not so squeaky wheels need some attention too. Is that too much to expect?
As parents, do these not so important texts get in the way of you sitting around the dinner table asking your kids about their day? Possibly your child's phone is taking their attention away from some family activities everyone could be doing together. Board games, family bike rides, having actual verbal conversations with each other ;) Many of us don't expect, or at the very least we find it common and acceptable for people to stare at their phones while sitting beside you at the table or on the couch or in bed. Put it down once in awhile. Make an effort. Even if its one evening a week. Pick that day, silence the phones and live in the here and now with your kids. Make those that matter a priority. Is that too much to expect?
As a spouse/partner do you still make your spouse a priority? We all get in those ruts. Family life, sex life, daily tasks become routine and mundane. Boring if you will. Things need to be kicked up a notch. Throw a wrench into the daily routine. Change your expectations of the day. Surprise your partner with something. Men surprise your woman, Women surprise your man, whoever you decided to spend your life with, or at least decided to spend the here and now with, pay attention to something they like to do and set it up. Don't buy something that you give them and 10 mins later you're both sitting on the couch not talking. Engage in an activity together, give them your undivided attention. Let them know they mean something to you.
As employees for some reason many of us think our employers owe us something before we even start a job. People are offered a job for a certain pay and they accept, for some reason 2 months later they're bitching. I actually had an employee of an establishment say to me, 'what do they expect, it's a minimum wage job' Ummmmm you agreed to take the minimum wage job. If you don't give 80% of your potential, should the employer only pay you 80% of your paycheck? Why should they give you 100% when you aren't doing the same in return? People agreed to the terms of the job upon hire. Yes eventually pay raises are to be expected with performance and cost of living, but I don't know why so many people expect something for nothing. Jobs are an essential evil. Most of us need them to pay the bills. If you were an employer, you wouldn't want to pay someone who was giving a half-assed effort, right? Is that too much to expect employees to give 100%
I'm not an employer, but I just don't understand some of my coworkers thoughts in the past and present about that issue. Things that are important in your life will get the most attention. It might be your spouse, it might be your bff, it might be your mom, it might be your kids, it might be your pet. Whatever or whoever it is, give it the attention it deserves. Don't forget those important people who mean something to you. Remind them you care. Remind them they matter. Take the time to make the effort to single them out once in awhile and make them feel special.
Is that too much to expect?
