Photo by Nikola Johnny Mirkovic on Unsplash

Yesterday morning, I had a call with a friend/colleague that I haven’t spoken to in YEARS! And yet, we managed to pick it back up exactly where we left off…

He had reached out a while ago wanting to hop on the phone – to let me know how an idea I shared way back then has been a game changer for him.

See, he was moving to a new city at the time, Philadelphia, and as I was showing him around Toronto for a few days, he learned about one of my secret weapons: it’s a file I call “Peeps I Meet.”

On a few occasions, he saw me open it up, and then be able to address people by name, or ask about their children, or how their recent trip was.

I’m going to let you in on this little secret, because it may just be a game changer for you, too.

You’re welcome. 😉

Make a conscious effort to meet people.

Make a conscious effort to remember people.

Make a conscious effort to stay connected to people.

See, I have a ‘PEEPS I MEET!’ file, accessible on both my phone and computer, that I’ve had for almost 10 years.

In this file I collect names of people I meet, and any special notes I wish to remember — from various events, while traveling, baristas from local coffee shops, servers from fave restaurants… and dear Walter, the old school hard-working shoe cobbler in my neighbourhood.

I have the names of bartenders in New York, the names of every dog and their owners who live in my building, and the fave donut 🍩 flavours from the team at the Toronto Western Hospital fracture clinic, were I frequented after my hip surgery.

Now, I do this because I truly love meeting and connecting with people, to be clear — and remembering people’s names is one of my fave hobbies. But I’d be lying if I said it hasn’t helped me out on more than one occasion.

You and your friends want to go out on the town, but don’t want to wait in line? I got you. Want your building concierge to do you a solid? They’ve helped me awkwardly maneuver mattresses in and out of the elevators. Love getting freebies or upgrades? I couldn’t even begin to count how many times this has happened in my life…

I’m not sharing this to boast, and I totally get you may not be as much of a people person as me. And I have to say, it can totally distract me from what I need to get done in a day, but I leave EVERY SINGLE CONVERSATION better than before.

I also dare say I have the best ‘Positive Peeps Possé’ in the world. Friends and colleagues and mentors and loved ones — even a few baristas and bartenders — that have my back.

You can’t do anything, or get anywhere, alone.

And moreover, we are social creatures. We need connection. And meaningful relationships are what make life, well, meaningful.

So you may not be ready to start a full on file or spreadsheet – or you may prefer pen to paper (had a few ‘Peeps To Remember’ notebooks in my time, too!) I encourage you to take time to make, nourish, and appreciate the people in your life, and the people you meet on the street.

Start building your own ‘Positive Peeps Possé,’ and perhaps begin your own version of the ‘Peeps I Meet’ file today!

You never know when you’re going to need to really lean on someone, or when that free coffee ☕️ is totally going to make your day.

Carol

P.S. You can grab your copy of ‘The Brave Healing Journal HERE. Available in all countries everywhere! Already have it? Please share a review HERE (I would be forever grateful!)

P.P.S. Have a big idea and not sure where to start? Let’s hop on a call… my calling and superpower is being your cheerleader, and to believe in you until you catch up!