By Rachel Schwarz

Recently, my family lost a loved one. After requesting some time off work to attend the funeral, word got around fairly quickly about what happened. While my close friends were respectful and interested in how I was doing, I was touched at how sympathetic all of my coworkers became in my time of need.

I wonder why we need a reason to put in a bit of extra effort to care about those in our lives. I know that I am guilty of not always remembering to ask what’s going on for others, but when anything extremely positive or extremely negative happens, I’m on my “A Game” of caring.

It’s easy to get wrapped up in the little details of our lives, but remembering the little details of others makes a world of difference. Think about how good it makes you feel when someone asks how your presentation went, or how your sister’s new job is working out.

Take that extra step: really listen, and remember to follow up – with authenticity.