Validation

Validation; to declare of make legally valid. In my opinion, the Internet’s definition of the word doesn’t quite cut it. Every day in our lives, we count on others. We count on our bus driver to get us to school, our teachers to give us the knowledge we need, our parents to clean the house, etc. Sadly, we sometimes forget to thank them. When is the last time you let your bus driver know how great of a job they do of getting you to and from school safely?
Have you ever thanked your teacher for giving you homework to reinforce what they’d already taught you that day? When is the last time you let your parents know how much you truly appreciate how they wake you up for school, cook dinner, work hard every day to make a salary to pay for your food and clothes? We rarely validate each other. Some people feel validation is a compliment, as in “Your hair is so cute today!” but validation is more than that. Validating someone is telling them how you dearly appreciate what they do. Sometimes we take it for granted that bus drivers get us to school every day, teachers are at school every day, our parents always help us, etc. Our bus drivers have to wake up early to get us to school and have to deal with loud, energetic kids every morning and afternoon. Teachers might get paid for their job, but they don’t get paid for the hours they put in after school of checking our papers and conjuring up fun ideas to help us learn. Our parents might provide us with food, shelter, and clothing but many children have parents who don’t. It only takes a few minutes of speaking from your heart to validate a person and those words can put a smile on their face for days if not weeks. Validation’s only outcome is positive because you can keep in mind that you brightened someone’s day.  

I challenge anyone reading this to start validating others. Tell cashiers, soldiers, your parents, etc. how much you appreciate everything they do for you.