We invite you to bring to mind a person who creates positive and life-giving energy for you. This could be a person from your present life or your past; a friend, a family member, a classmate, or a colleague. The person might be living or may have passed away. Bring that person to mind and pause for a moment to experience what it feels like to remember that person.

Today we are focusing on the concept of an "emotional wake." One way to understand this concept is to realize that what you were feeling just a moment ago when you remembered the person who has had a positive effect on you is that you were experiencing the emotional wake they have created in your life.

A boat traveling across the water leaves a wake as it leaves a trail of stirred-up water behind it. Similarly, we all leave an emotional wake as we interact with others, stirring up emotions in those around us. Those emotions can be positive, neutral, or negative. It is important to be aware of and take responsibility for the emotional wake we radiate out to others.

This subject got us thinking back to a time when we were out enjoying an afternoon in our canoe, and a ski boat came close to us at a high rate of speed. The wake created by the boat was annoying enough, but what was probably even more upsetting to us was that the boater seemed to be oblivious to the wake they were making and that their action had almost tipped us over. This experience reminded us that the emotional wakes we create can also impact others without our even being aware.

On the twenty-minute podcast that is a companion to this column (click the link below to listen), we talk about what we have learned from our experience to help ensure that we create a positive emotional wake in our interactions with others. In summary, we mention being aware of others' feelings, being a good listener who is encouraging and kind, being fully present (putting away distractions), being appreciative of others, and having a positive, hopeful attitude. And as we say on the podcast, no one person has these qualities all the time, but creating a positive emotional wake involves being aware of the impact we are having on those around us and being intentional about the energy we put out into the world.

Making It Personal (prompts to enhance your personal and relational well-being).

1. When you think of someone who has left a positive emotional wake in your life, what can you learn from what they did to create that feeling?

2. In general, what kind of overall emotional wake do you think you are creating most of the time?

3. Based on your answer to #2, is there anything you want to do differently going forward?