What is it that we are all seeking? If your first response to this question is validation, you would be thinking in the right direction, but think bigger. What are we all after that validation contributes to? Happiness, right? When we boil it all down, the one thing most people truly want is simply to be happy.
Think about it, isn’t the real reason we have relationships, earn money, buy stuff, and go on vacation because we think those things will bring us happiness? So I think it’s fair to say that, regardless of the pursuit, happiness is always the ultimate goal. So, if happiness is the ultimate goal, where do validation and approval fit in?
How validation and approval influence happiness
Two of the biggest contributors to our feelings of self-worth are validation and approval. It is very emotionally reassuring to experience the approval and validation of others. The reason for this is very simple. Their approval provides external feedback and validation for our positive feelings about ourselves.
We are naturally drawn to people and experiences that make a positive contribution to our basic need for validation and approval. All people have this core need, and filling it, regardless of the source, is always a positive emotional experience.
Creating feeling of happiness with validation and approval
This video shows how external validation makes people feel. I loved it and think you will enjoy it also. So, instead of reading a long article, I invite you to kick back and watch VALIDATION.
With a few sincere words of validation and approval, you have the ability to help others feel good about themselves. If you are willing to see the good in others and express what you see, you can lift their spirits and contribute to their sense of happiness. Think how powerful that is!
What would the world be like if everyone put out just a little more effort to be encouraging and kind? How much ripple effect could your expressions of validation reach? How wonderful would it feel to help others find their smile?
You can do this, I know you can because you are GREAT.
