Growing up, I knew my mom knew everything. She knew when we were hungry. She knew when we would be bored. She knew what we would need or want before we did! It wasn’t just us for us kids either. It was for my dad. It was for guests. It was for unforeseen problems that she automatically knew how to handle.
I always admired this trait and wondered how she did it. Though my young adult life and to today, without realizing it, I have adopted those traits. They are powerful, memorable, and important. It is likely one of the most feminine traits I have ever learned in my life. Anticipating the needs of others shows you preemptively care, know, or foresee possible scenarios. For women, it’s a superpower.
I will give you a few examples:
You take your family to the beach. You have sunscreen. You have a cooler with lunch, the umbrella, towels, toys, all the 3 or 4 of you obviously need. Then, your little one comes up holding a crab they caught and wants to observe it. You bust out a critter keeper or container for shells. Fill it with water and take pictures and look up facts about it online and have a teaching moment.
You are in the car and hit a traffic jam. Your little one gets fussy. You whip out the EMERGENCY LOLLIPOP!
You are on vacation. Your man gets a cut. You whip out the tiny first aid kit in your purse and patch him up in 30 seconds.
You have a 4th of July party, invite friends with kids. Food is great, ready to watch fireworks. Kids get fussy, it’s late. Bust out the dollar tree glow sticks and light up toys. They run around crazy while you oversee everyone’s happiness. Suddenly your dog gets spooked by the noise. You bring them in to a well-padded dog crate in a quiet area and relieve their minds with security.
You see your man is running low on personal items. Do you wait for him to run out? No. Next trip to the store you have a backup ready on hand for him to toss the old container and not have to ask.
From having the basics on hand to covering the what-ifs, knowing what will make other people feel good, relaxed, and appreciative is something that every woman should take pride in.
It seems simple but it’s often overlooked. You know the woman in your office who when you say you have a headache and want to go home she goes “here is 100,000 mg ibuprofen!” Annoying (because you want to go home), but she cares. And she is prepared. Now imagine that woman on a camping trip. Do you think she forgets extra batteries, toilet paper, a charger, or the surprise lobster tails to cook over the open fire? How about the s’mores? I think not.
The real power of anticipating the needs of others?
It shows you are selfless.
An unselfish woman is a feminine woman.
Think ahead. Put yourself in the shoes of others. Predict what others may need before they need it. Be resourceful. Imagine if you were them. That’s the key.
Finally, do not let it cause anxiety. Let it cause joy. There is nothing better than having exactly what someone needs before they realize it themselves. It comes down to one thing. Being thoughtful, being mindful. Being kind.
Be well.
–RRPW