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Partnering for Success
The
course of our life, the things we achieve, the happiness we
feel, are all in some way effected by the people around us. This column includes tips on how to be more
successful and enjoy
life even in the tough times by forging winning
partnerships—partnerships that help you and those around you
prosper.
A
Column by Philippa Courtney
November 2002
Make Someone Feel Like They Belong
I just completed the naturalization process and became a citizen of
the United States. Who would have thought when I started this
process, that by the time my immigration interview came around we
would have such a renewed sense of nationalism and our sense of
security would be so irrevocably changed.
It seems timely that my stepson Dan is on holiday in England right
now discovering where I came from while I am pledging allegiance to
the country he has always called home. At the same time my
mom-in-law is about to sell her winter home in Florida and stay full
time at the family home in Rhode Island. She told me that warm
winters can't take the place of being close to her children,
grandchildren, and friends. She wants to reestablish her permanent
roots and develop ongoing relationships with the people in her old
church. These circumstances have made me really think about the
meaning of home.
When Mike Myers, of Austin Powers fame, was asked about his father's
influence in his movies, Myers said, "Nobody is more British than a
Brit who lives abroad." The entire United Kingdom is smaller than
the state of Texas, yet Brits are known for their fierce pride in
the region of England they come from. Most people would just say
that I am from England, but I am and always will be a Yorkshire lass
at heart. And now I am a Yorkshire lass with a new homeland and the
same loyalty for Portland as I have for Yorkshire because Portland
is a place where I feel that I belong, a place that feels like home.
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Of course home is more about people, relationships, and
familiarity than it is about boundaries on a map. Home may be
where our fondest childhood memories reside or it may be a
place where we felt a connection the first time we were
there.
Some people evoke the same feelings in us. There are people
we've known our whole life who never seem familiar and others
we just meet that make us feel like we've known them our
whole life. |
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When people feel at home with you
they are more likely to want to help you |
The place you call home may not have the most ideal weather or
the easiest traffic commute, yet you still enjoy living there.
To feel at home with you people need to know that you accept
them just the way they are. They need to feel that they are a
priority in your busy life; that you take the time to keep in
touch and include them in your thoughts-that they belong in
your life. Most importantly, people need to know that you are
proud of them and their accomplishments even when they're
struggling.
The fact is that people who find
comfort in your company
are more likely to show confidence in your capabilities
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