It is a beautiful chilly Friday night in mid-December, and you are getting ready to do what you love. You have invited a group of friends to go with you to see a play that has just opened at the local theatre. It is a comedy, and you have been anticipating this night for weeks. As you are getting ready, you look out your living room window You don't mean to be nosy, but from this view you can see into your next-door neighbor's house. You see your neighbor, a young woman about your age, sitting in the house alone. She is watching television and looks lonely. You hate to think of her spending the night alone when you are about to go have fun. You look at your watch and notice that it is about twenty minutes until your friends are scheduled to arrive. Before they arrive, there is just one more thing that you need to do--one more thing that will make your evening perfect. You pick up the phone, call your neighbor, and invite her to join you. She answers the phone after the first ring and accepts the invitation. You let her go so that she can get ready. Ten minutes later, she knocks on your door, dressed in jeans and a red sweatshirt and glowing with excitement.

Everybody likes to be included. If you include others in what you are doing, it makes them feel special. They feel needed, wanted, and loved. By including them, they get a break from their regular routine. They get to spend time with you, and everybody gets to have fun. Tonight, your neighbor will get to experience the excitement of watching actors perform on stage. Another night, she may get to go with you to see a football game. You will sit in the stadium at the local university and cheer as the home team scores a touchdown.

Another reason to include others is because everybody has something to offer. If you exclude someone, you will be missing out on a chance to meet a very cool and interesting person. The person might be a specialist in an area where you need some help. By including this person in your outings, you could learn something. You might get a chance to learn a new language, for instance. You could also find out about places that you would like to visit, books you would like to read, foods you would like to try, and hobbies you would like to pursue.

Include others. It might be a neighbor, a classmate, or a co-worker. Everybody has something to share, wants to have fun, and is worth getting to know.