This year, Oprah Winfrey had her final show. During her farewell speech she talked about one thing I believe all human beings have in common:
“I’ve talked to nearly 30,000 people on this show, and all 30,000 had one thing in common: They all wanted validation.
If I could reach through this television and sit on your sofa or sit on a stool in your kitchen right now, I would tell you that every single person you will ever meet shares that common desire. They want to know: ‘Do you see me? Do you hear me? Does what I say mean anything to you?”
“Understanding that one principle has allowed me to hold the microphone for you all these years with the least amount of judgment. Now I can’t say I wasn’t judging some days. Some days, I had to judge just a little bit. But it’s helped me to stand and to try to do that with an open mind and to do it with an open heart. It has worked for this platform, and I guarantee you it will work for yours.
Try it with your children, your husband, your wife, your boss, and your friends. Validate them. ‘I see you. I hear you. And what you say matters to me.”
To make this idea clear, I want you to sit back for a few minutes and watch this video.
And then go out and validate! And change the world.