Good morning, ladies and gentlemen! Happy Friday, and happy Valentine’s Day!
People used to ask my dad what it was like to coach or teach his own kids. His response was always simple.
I treat all of players [or students] like my sons, so I don’t have to treat my sons any differently.”
Not everyone we know is going to hold the same place in our life, in our heart, in our world as our children, or our other family members. But to apply that type of logic and thinking to our relationships with people that my father took to coaching and teaching would make life a lot more tolerable, would it not? It allows us to overlook certain things that in the long run are of minimal concern. It allows us to see the best in people rather than the (sometimes all too obvious) character flaws. We become a little more tactful in our dealings with people that, in real time, may not seem to deserve it. Additionally, it may allow us to accept criticism a little bit easier, when we accept that it’s coming from a place of love, rather than an attack. It may allow us to be less combative when a person speaks or acts in a way that we don’t agree with.
We can’t expect anyone to place us on a pedestal because of who we think we are to them or for them. But we do control who we place above or below the next person. Not every person deserves the “privileges” from you that you reserve for certain others. But allow yourself to treat the “everyday” people in your life with the same respect, dignity, and zest that you would the people you sincerely care about.
Make it a GREAT day, and a GREAT weekend!
Stay blessed.
I live and die by the Power of 3... 3 powerpoint slides, 3 bullets, 3 main points, 3 business implications. I learned this early in my young career, have stuck by it and it's served me well. But in the hyper fast-paced world of the social web, where websites and realtime updates and RSS feeds compete for your attention, I'm beginning to realize that 3 can be too much...
