Sharing Resources to Help You Grow Personally, Professionally & Financially

Sometimes it helps to get a little dose of encouragement—along with a good cup of coffee!—to start the day. Today we discuss "Validation".

Hopefully, the message below will help you get off to a good start for the week. Please feel free to forward the newsletter along to others who you think would benefit from the content.

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Validation 

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If ever there were a word I wish I had discovered earlier in life, it would be this one: Validation.

See, I’m wired as a “facts and data” guy. My instinct is always to go into problem-solving mode. Someone shares a situation with me? I immediately slip into Six Sigma thinking—define, measure, analyze, improve, control. In other words:

1. What’s the problem?

2. What are the possible solutions?

3. Which solution works best?

Sounds logical, right? Except here’s the catch… not everything in life needs a solution.

One day, I stumbled across what has to be one of the most widely viewed videos in history—nearly 24 million views on YouTube. And it flipped my perspective upside down.

 

 

Validation is a Superpower

I’ve shared this video with dozens of people, and every time the reaction is the same: a smile, a nod, and a moment of realization. Why? Because the video highlights one of the most powerful interpersonal dynamics in the world.

It’s not about solving.
It’s not about fixing.
It’s about validating.

In the video, a young couple struggles to connect. The husband—like me at one point—doesn’t get it. His wife isn’t asking him to fix anything. She’s simply asking him to acknowledge her experience. To see her. To hear her. To validate her reality.

That’s it. No solutions required.

So, What Does Validation Look Like?

Validation is saying—

• I see you.

• I accept that this is where you are.

• I recognize the feelings that come with it.

• And I’m okay with that.

Simple, right? But for a “DMAIC brain” like mine, it felt like trying to rewire my operating system.

Validation vs. DMAIC

On the surface, validation and DMAIC couldn’t be further apart. One is soft, human, emotional. The other is structured, logical, data-driven.

And yet—here’s the funny part—you can actually use DMAIC to get better at validation. Define the gap, measure your progress, analyze your interactions, improve your responses, and control your habits. Yes, you can literally Six Sigma your way to becoming more human.

That brings me to this week’s question:

• Are you providing validation to those closest to you?

Thanks for sharing a bit of your time with me this Monday morning.

Have a great week!
Curt

 

About MMM: Each week I publish “Monday Morning Motivation” in the hopes that one person will find a bit of inspiration and that inspiration will have a positive impact on their life. My motivation comes from experiences, reading, sermons, and discussions.

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Blog post from this past week:

Monday Morning Motivation - Attunement