To really be able to help someone else, first take care of yourself and be in a positive emotional state. You want to give the other person your full undivided attention and not be distracted. What they have to say matters. And you need to be able to fully process what they are communicating so you can guide them.

Second, you want to make the other person feel comfortable to be able to open up to you. If they are going to be vulnerable, you need them to feel accepted, and not judged for what they might want to work on. You’ll be amazed at how grateful some people are just by you actively listening to them as many people haven’t had a “heart to heart” in awhile.

Lastly, have confidence they will find their WORD and that you made an impact even if they didn’t decide on a WORD. Some people find their WORD quite quickly and others days later. Even if they didn’t find a WORD while with you, realize that you made an impact just having them reflect and think. You got them a few steps closer. There’s no need to feel pressure as if you somehow failed if you didn’t help them find a WORD. That relaxed confidence will make the process more enjoyable for both of you. (It’s also totally OK to give them a blank bracelet as a reminder for them to keep an intention to find their WORD and they can always come back to you to get it stamped when they've found it).

I usually start by asking them “What’s Your WORD?” followed by a brief explanation such as:

“I’d like to make you a bracelet or necklace with your WORD of intention on it. It’s a WORD that serves as a daily reminder to be your best self or what’s most meaningful to you."

I then PAUSE to let them digest and see their reaction.

Depending on their reaction, I might say: “Would you like a few questions that might be helpful?” If they say yes, I’ll usually ask them:

• What’s a quality or virtue you want more of in your life? Might be helpful to think of someone you admire - what do you admire about them?

• What’s a challenge you want to overcome? 

• What is something that makes you feel alive and you want to spend more time on?

Your role at this point is NOT to:

• Share your own WORD (unless they ask)

• Try to suggest or guess their WORD

• Tell them about the project or all the cool celebrities who have gotten bracelets

Second, you want to make the other person feel comfortable to be able to open up to you. If they are going to be vulnerable, you need them to feel accepted, and not judged for what they might want to work on. You’ll be amazed at how grateful some people are just by you actively listening to them as many people haven’t had a “heart to heart” in awhile.

For some people, being seen and heard is a powerful experience - maybe something they haven't experienced in a long time. By showing support and encouraging openness and vulnerability, they feel safe. This is their truth and they feel seen and heard.

If needed, stay focused on asking more questions rather than trying to come up with answers for the other person. You might be tempted to create a list of WORDs based on their initial responses. However, unless the other person asks, allow them to share what’s coming up for them. Simply ask something like “would you share more?” or open ended questions like "why" or "how" keeps the conversation flowing.

If they are really struggling coming up with a WORD, you might offer a suggestion with this phrasing: How do you feel about X? Don’t impose with a phrase like: Your WORD should be X.

In the end, they will be more excited and take ownership if they come up with their own WORD and you will feel a great sense of accomplishment having coached them to find it.

I was helping a mom and her first reaction was to get her kid's names. I politely asked her what quality she wanted to have to be a great parent. She thought for a minute and replied “COURAGE!”

A filmographer initially wanted his last name. I was curious as to why and he shared “to make my parents proud!” I then asked him what he could do to make his parents proud. He said to have better morning and evening routines. He then came up with DISCIPLINE. A couple of days later he told me that seeing it on his wrist helps him wake up earlier and be more productive.

I had the owner of a coffee shop choose the word SUCCESS initially. I then asked him what it would take to achieve success and he said he needed to build a sense of COMMUNITY for his new space.

From these examples, you can see that someone’s initial response may just be a starting point. However, there are plenty of times when their first response ends up being the WORD we go with. Trust your intuition if you want to explore or just enjoy the discovery.

On a practical note, how long you converse will also depend on how much time you and the other person have. If you are trying to help a large group, then you probably have less time to go deep with each person. 

Remember, you're helping the person discover what they need:

• Is the WORD they come up with something they need a reminder of vs. something they already know (e.g. GIVE WORK example above).

• Is this something that will inspire them to be their best self (E.g. DISCIPLINE example)

• Meaningful vs. Intentional - Meaningful focuses on the past - something in the past was meaningful. Intentional focuses on the state that you want to create in the future. As much as possible, we help people focus on the future state that they want to create.

In the end, have fun with this and keep an open mind and heart. You’ll be amazed at the stories people share with you and the new connections made.

Link to download the song used in the video above