7 Ways to Stay Remembered.

I have encountered different types of people in my life. From those who are full of themselves all the way to those who would rather forget who they are to the more normal “in betweens”. In spite of the kaleidoscope of personalities I have encountered on a day to day event, it is important to know that leaving an impression, a good impression, can go a long, long way.

Why? Because no man is an island! As cliché as it may sound, embrace it and engrave that proverb in your heart. A time will come when you will need some sort of inter-personal interaction in your life be it emotional, relational, financial and even trivial. Who will you turn to? It would be kind of embarrassing to simply “pop” into someone’s life or schedule without any relational foundation, would it? How do we avoid such a thing from happening? Here are 7 ways.

Keep In Touch. In this day and age, there is no excuse for not staying in touch with friends and loved ones. Yes, you may be too busy to meet for coffee. It doesn’t exempt you from not being able to call to say “hello”. Still too busy to give someone a call to make him/her feel important? Text ! Email! Open a facebook, myspace or twitter account. Like I said there is no excuse not to keep in touch.

Remember Special Dates. Nothing melts a person’s heart more than a thoughtful greeting. Send a birthday card or an e-card (if you’re on a budget). Call to congratulate if some good news reaches you about the person. It doesn’t matter if the news is a month old. Call as soon as you get the message.

Call For Nothing. For no apparent reason or better yet, for no reason at all. Simply call people to say “hello”. In this day and age of cell phones, we all have an electronic “rolodex” at our disposal. Write your own code. For instance, label names in your phone address list as 1, 2, 3 and 4. One means you will call that person at least once a year for nothing. Two means you will call that person twice a year or semi-annually for nothing. Three means you will call that person three times a year or every four months. Four means… you should know what it means by now.

Break Bread From Time to Time. If you’re not the type of person who loves to cook, invite a friend out to coffee, lunch, brunch, dinner, breakfast or midnight snack. Catch up. Talk about “stuff”. Update yourself on what the other person is up to. Listen. Listen. Listen. You want to know more about your friend.

Offer a Helping Hand. You’ll never know when your turn will come. Investing in your friends is one of the best investments you can ever make. Yes, just like some blue chips on Wall Street, there will still be friends that will let you down. But don’t let this prevent you from offering a helping hand.

Be the Garbage Man. Yes, I know it can be stressful to hear close friends and acquaintances rant at you about their issues. Handle enough. The bottom line is helping them unload their burden. Be there for them. Most of the time, you’re not required to find a solution. They just want someone to empathize with what they are going through at the moment.

Be Sincere. This is where I warn you that “faking it till you make it” will not work. You really have to sincerely want to care, remember and honor the people you want around you. In other words, you have to take care of them, of the relationship you’ve established with them.

My father wasn’t the richest man that walked the Earth. He wasn’t even the smartest. But he was one of the most sincere human being that walked the Earth. He taught me this when I was growing up. I witnessed its full potential when he died. People from all walks of life up to my country’s Vice-President paid their last respect to somebody who made them feel important because to him, they really were.

We, his children, are still reaping the benefits of his legacy.