This Week I Learned...Our loved ones are not mind-readers.

My friend Sacha was getting uneasy with me. She seemed to feel less-than-cherished in my presence. I assumed that since I felt appreciative of her for all she'd been doing, she'd know I felt that way. Not! It turned out that my inner feelings towards her hadn't been made clear, and she had no reason to assume that I felt as I did. As a result, there was tension that didn't need to be there.

Action steps...From now on, I'll try to remember to tell the people I love how I feel about them. I can't assume that they know what's in my head and in my heart. If I want to make them feel appreciated, I need to take the initiative to speak up.

Take the initiative to tell the people you love how you feel. You may think it's redundant or unnecessary, but your words will have far more impact than you might imagine. Sometimes your simple gesture will take another by surprise, and the resulting gratitude from them might take you by surprise. Do it now. Call someone you care about and tell them how you feel. You'll be glad you did.