Have you seen this video called Validation?
I saw it and loved it a long time ago and my good friend Suki reminded me of it the other day. (Have you watched it yet? I’m gonna give away the punchline. Go watch it now, then come back, okay?!).
Anyway, Suki and I were talking about how great the video is. And then she told me that she really wants to set up a Validation Booth here in the city. How fun would it be to set up somewhere public and offer strangers validation?! “Wow, you’ve got a great smile.” “You seem like such a loving mother.” “I love your style!”
Suki confessed that as much as she wants to set up her own Validation Booth, she also feels a little uncertain. “Could I really do it? What if I can’t think of something validating to say to someone in the moment?”
My guess is that Suki will do it. And that she’ll easily think of encouraging things to say to strangers. That’s just who she is.
However, here’s what really matters to me about all of this. Suki said, “I decided that I don’t have to wait to get a booth and set something up officially. I can offer validation to strangers every day. I can just start.”
And then she told me how earlier that day she had been walking behind a child dressed so sweetly in polka dot pants with a polka dot jacket and a matching hat. Suki said she followed the girl and her mother and after a few minutes, she got the little girl’s attention and said, “I love how you put your polka dots together.”
The girl beamed, of course.
Everyone wants to be validated. And we can all offer our unique brand of validation stamp. Imagine how the world would be.
Thanks for the inspiration, Suki!