Why You Need To Allow YOU To Be A Priority

What a memorable day at my house last Sunday. Because it was Father's Day, my amazing daughters and wonderful wife went the extra mile in making the day special. There was the incredible lunch, time spent reminiscing about parenting, and a whole host of other moments directed toward me.

In the past, such days have made me uncomfortable. It's never been easy for me to allow others to do things for me or make me the center of attention. It's just my nature. As I've gotten older, however, I've come to realize that these moments, whether in the workplace or our families, are so important for both the giver and the recipient.

If you try and resist when others want to do something for you in gratitude, remember these three reasons it's important to allow them to do it:

You empower them to fulfill their purpose.
Imagine the horror you would feel if you took the time to wrap a special gift to someone important to you, and when you handed it to them they said, "Oh, I don't need that," and immediately threw it away. We are taking a similar course of action when we won't allow others to verbally express their gratitude or do something for us. It's natural for us to want to express gratitude to others who have invested in us or sacrificed for us....don't diminish the gift someone is trying to give you.

You regain some much needed energy.
After a day of celebration and quality time with the family, I felt like I could conquer the world when I had to leave for the airport Sunday evening. Even after a two hour plane delay and a long Uber ride to my hotel, I still had a sense of peace and focus that was not normally there. If you don't let people make you a priority, you risk losing those invaluable moments to refuel.

You show others you value them.
One reason we resist letting others do things for us is because we reason (inside our head) that we're just too busy, or there will be time for that later. What the other person can perceive, however, is that they aren't that important to us. Giving others our most precious gift of time, whether its investing in them or allowing them to show gratitude to us, is essential to building healthy relationships.

Where do you need to allow others to make YOU a priority more often?

For more on this topic:
How To Improve Your Expressions Of Gratitude
What Employees Really Want On Employee Appreciation Day