Practice Validating Other People

I learned this life lesson because in my family, the great traumatic superpower is to invalidate other people. It is subtle, insidious, cruel, and severely abusive.

We tend to unconsciously pass on the abuse we have received, until we become aware of it, and choose to stop the unconscious perpetuation of the trauma cycle.

I noticed how I would unconsciously and automatically invalidate other people. And I was able to witness the separation it created between me and others, and the hurt it caused them.

Then I noticed how peoples’ faces light up, their hearts open, and connection and friendship are fostered when I offer positive, uplifting, encouraging, genuine, authentic, kind forms of validation, rather than cutting people down for no good reason other than that was how the nasty people in my life had trained me to be treated and treat others.

To not see and hear other people, to invalidate other people, is one of the cruelest forms of abuse in human relationships.

To validate other people is one of the kindest forms of human relationships. You will heal people’s hearts. You will develop deep friendships and trust. Doors will open. People will go out of their way to do kind things for you. And you will feel joy at uplifting other people.

Practice the art of validation.