Just Say It! This post was inspired by a recent text exchange. I had sent a special gift to a relative, and had hoped she would like it. She did and sent me a text message thanking me. I was so thrilled. However the last part of her message literally made me gasp out loud!

I have never felt like I mattered to anyone. I often wondered if I died would I even be missed.

Wow! I was stunned! I also wondered, how many people put on a brave, strong, and confident face, but deep down inside, feel this way too? What bothered me most about her statement was that this was a long overdue gift. Further, I always took for granted that she knew how special she was to me, and many others. But I rarely – if ever – told her. So often we think others should just know we love them. But why would they? Maybe we think to ourselves “Haven’t I shown my love/respect/admiration through my actions?” Sometimes it’s important to Just Say It.

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Sound Familiar?

Does this sound familiar? Clearly I’ve been guilty of this. Are there times when we say it, but we say it too late? In the past when I’ve left jobs, I’ve been told by employees in other departments, how much they admired, respected or appreciated my work. I must confess, in some cases, I had no idea the respective person even knew who I was! Once when I moved from a previous residence, I was told by one of my neighbors how much I had inspired her with the home improvements I had made over the years. Really? I never knew that – and this was someone I greeted regularly in passing.

Say What You Need to Say

There’s a song by John Mayer called Say, and the lyrics remind us to “Say What You Need to Say”. I love this song, and it’s on his *Continuum album. The official video for the song, shows scenes from the movie *The Bucket List with Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. Indeed, the song plays during the closing credits at the end of the film.

A Different Kind of Challenge

In the past I have shared various challenges. This is a different kind. The new (and definitely ongoing) challenge for me is to Just Say It! And say it now. I won’t wait until a person leaves the company, the neighborhood, or – most importantly – this life, to share my positive impressions or feelings with them. I’ll do this where appropriate, and without expectations. After all, my commitment is to just be authentic, and say what I need to say. We never know what impact what we say and/or do may make on a person’s life. How about you? Care to join me in this challenge? Need some help saying it? Take a look at this *I Can’t Say I Love You  Enough plaque as a potential gift. And do let me know if you have thoughts to share in the comments. 😉