Thursday, June 10, 2010

You know we all face daily challenges and the airport is maybe the best place to observe all the different ways people handle life.

Just caught a flight from Las Vegas back home to Tucson and in the Vegas airport I was impressed by two things. First, how nasty the attitudes of the TSA agents were, it was as if they had all received a “Be Angry” memo. Their collective temperament infected those in line and as I watched the people exiting the security area the foul mood was flowing into the nearby food court where patrons were complaining about their treatment and jsut about everything else.

As I stood in line waiting my turn to place my order for the incredibly over-priced Popeye’s “chicken biscuit combo” I noticed the mood those in front of me begin to change. As I paid closer attention I realized why. The young man that was taking everyone’s order and the older lady assembling the food were in a great mood. They were greeting everyone cheerfully and as customers would leave, a happy “Have a great day and we really appreciate your business” would follow. The little lady even called me “Sweetie” and to tell you the truth I felt a little sweeter as a result.

I watched person after person grumble up to the line and to varying degrees but without fail by the time they got to the spot to place their respective orders they all had either a smile on their face or at least had lost the scowl they arrived with. It was remarkable and a real lesson in the “ripple effect” a single person’s attitude can have on those around them. You see the people in line had not even got their “Good Morning” or “Sweetie” yet they were hearing it, feeling it and beginning to show it. Those folks at Popeye’s were changing the mood of everyone they came into contact with and everyone of them carried that positive energy with them.

I noticed people as they would leave a little peppier and a little happier. It was really wonderful to watch. It reminded me of one of my favorite verses of scripture – As a man (or woman) thinketh so shall he be. Nothing really changed in the lives of those people who visited Popeye’s Chicken & Biscuits that morning – nothing . . . except the most important thing, the way they were thinking.

It is contagious, your attitude, and it touches everyone around and influences them in ways that quite often we never even see. How many lives were made better by the kind words and upbeat demeanor of that clerk and cook?? They will never know but I can confidently say that one person’s day was made a little brighter . . . MINE.

Take a moment, share a good word, a smile and be sunshine in the lives of those you come into contact with each day. If you choose to be your best then it is a cinch that what you will get from others will be better and you may just get their best.

Friday, June 4, 2010

It's really simple

In this day of over-complication we are bombarded with complex solutions to each and every trial we face. The reality is that most of the issues we are faced with have at the root a Simple Solution. Our modern intellect just seems to require that we bypass the "tried and true" for something new and innovative. A sort of psychology that says "there just has to be a better wheel". My goal with this blog will be to discuss the communication and personal skills that have worked through the ages and not lace every discussion with "psycho-babble" just for the sake of sounding intelligent.
People skills are some of the easiest and most beneficial skills to acquire and yet so many never take the time to think about the words they use or how these words are received. My hope is to share what I have learned over 10 years of research in this area.
I would love to hear your stories about the conflicts and miscommunication you have had at h0me and at work. The answers and the solutions are often just out of sight but they are there and the key can be a very Simple Solution.
Look forward to hearing from you. Take care and God bless you all.