***Cheerleader Partners

Has this ever happened to you? You had an accomplishment or a win and you were excited. You told your spouse, or parent, or good friend and with underwhelming enthusiasm they said, “That’s nice.” What a let down. It’s the answer to if a tree falls in the forest and no one hears it, did it make a sound?

Dr. Shelly Gable’s research, which she reported in the journal of Personality and Social Psychology, found that how you respond to a partner’s good news is more important than how you respond to the partner’s bad news. So be a cheerleader to people’s accomplishments, especially with your spouse and family.

Why is a “cheerleader-partner” even more important than a compassionate partner? It may be that compassion at best just brings things back to normal. Cheerleading positive events makes for great memories. It also provides motivation to achieve, as there is the carrot of another celebration. n
Realizing the importance of being a cheerleader partner can motivate you to be sure to cheer. It takes so little effort and makes such a big difference.