Who’s read the 5 Love Languages?
If you haven’t, you need to. It’ll totally transform the way you interact with, show up for, and love on the people in your life.
The premise of the book is that we as individuals want to be loved and cared for in many different ways, but there are (generally speaking) one or two more specific ways that we crave and need in order to feel like the fullest, happiest, most vibrant versions of ourselves. And this looks different from person to person. Lacking that kind of love, we feel empty… disconnected… just plain low.
So the trick is to discern what your people’s — your co-workers, your partner, your teammates, your parents, your siblings, your whoevers — love language is and show up and love on them in a way that THEY want and need to be loved… not necessarily in the way that YOU do. (Which is tricky, because we generally default to love others in a way that WE would want someone to show up for US…)
The 5 Love Languages are:
(1) words of affirmation
(2) quality time
(3) gifts
(4) acts of service, and
(5) physical touch.
For anyone who knows me, they can probably guess my love language right away.
I’m “quality time.”
Which means I crave face-to-face interaction, good conversation, and going to go DO stuff with people. The best, most generous way you could show up for me and show me you care, is to spend time with me. It’s just the way I’m hardwired.
And this week, MAN have people been speaking my love language…
Last night, a co-worker and friend of mine invited me over to his house to make Detroit-style pizza with him and his family. We sat and talked about life, and love, and my trip for 4 hours straight, over beers and pizza.
This morning, my best friend texted me at 6 am and asked if I wanted to come over for coffee and hang out with her and her new kiddo. Babies, besties, coffee, and conversation?! Um… yes please.
And later today, I met a mentor of mine for lunch and we sat at the restaurant for 3.5 hours discussing books, leadership, food industry trends, the state of the organics industry, and the progress we’re making to improve the food system and bring it back to its roots. Ugh. LOVE.
Goodness gracious — I’ve had so much face-to-face quality time, amazing, spirited conversation in the last 48 hours my heart wants to explode. Seriously though.
Your people get you. And when they show up and love on you in a way that’s so uniquely you, it makes you feel like you can climb mountains.
So grateful for all of the amazing people in my life who’ve shown up for me this week to love on me for my birthday, and also in support of my upcoming adventure. I love you all so so much and am, yeah — ready to climb mountains.
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