Inspirational Sunday

Bill Witcher, co-founder of Computer School for Seniors will be sharing words of encouragement, inspiration and hope with you each Sunday.

Smile - Be Nice to People

How many times have you been greeted by a waitress who looked more like she wanted to kick you out of the restaurant than take your order? How about unhappy looking grocery clerks or cab drivers?

Have you looked in the mirror lately? Are we in the habit of smiling when we greet people? It only makes sense that if we want people to smile and be friendly to us, we may need to start the process when we first greet them.

Mimi and I were in Washington DC last week and upon our return, I encountered a sour looking ticket agent. She looked and acted very unhappy. I on the other hand was in a good mood. We were heading home from a fabulous trip and I felt great.

She was wearing a name tag, so I smiled and called her by name, “Janet, we sure enjoyed visiting your city and our flight out here. Now we’re looking forward to a comfortable flight back home. Thank you for your hospitality.”

She paused, looked at me and smiled and we engaged in a nice brief conversation. Janet was capable of a smile and a pleasant attitude; she just needed an excuse to let it out. I triggered it. We both benefited. In fact, she didn’t charge me for our luggage being over the weight limit.

John Maxwell in his book, Today Matters, says that we should not take other peoples shortcomings personally. Instead, we should help them to smile and to succeed. We can lay the groundwork for good relationships.

Keep in mind the following truths about people and actions we can take to bridge the gap often caused by them:

· People are insecure…give them confidence.
· People want to feel special…sincerely compliment them.
· People desire a better tomorrow…show them hope.
· People need to be understood…listen to them.
· People are selfish…speak to their needs first.
· People get emotionally low…encourage them.
· People want to be associated with success…help them win.

Place a high value on people. Expect the best from everyone. Assume people’s motives are good unless they prove them to be otherwise. Value them by their best moments. And give them your friendship rather than asking for theirs.

Bill Witcher is co-founder of Computer School for Seniors (www.cs4seniors.com)