How do we provide support for others? What does that support look like and sound like?  There are many simple things we all can do to help others.

I was involved with three conversations recently where hard decisions were needed to be made by a certain timeline.  Below is a summary.

3 Conversations:

In the first conversation, the mom was deciding if she and her husband were going to send their children back to school or do virtual learning for the fall.  She reviewed the pros and cons for each position.  However, they do have a health issue in the household, and they are worried about bringing COVID home.   She kept coming back to that point.  She really did know what her decision was for her family.   

In contrast, another family knew without any doubt that they were sending their kids back to school.  That was the right decision for their family.

The second conversation was about going right to college or taking a gap year to travel.  I know how I personally feel about this topic, but that was not the issue.  The issue was to listen to what was really on their hearts.

The last conversation was about going after a 9-5 job or becoming an entrepreneur.  They reviewed the pros and cons and had done a great deal of research.  The point they kept coming back to was the concern for lack of daily adult interaction when working out of their home alone.

When you find yourself in these positions, here are some ideas to consider:

• Be a good listener, listen for reoccurring thoughts or concerns.
• Ask questions to help them look at their pros and cons.
• Repeat back some of the points you heard them say.
• Help them to be confident with their decision.  They made the best decision for themselves with the information they had.
• Remind them that life is a journey.   As time goes by and they gather more information, revisiting the decision, if necessary, is the right thing to do.

It is not surprising that giving and receiving support has a huge impact on a person’s health and well-being.  People need others to lean on and to give them support.  In addition, we feel better about ourselves when we know we are needed and that others know they can turn to us for help. How will you choose to support them?