Sincere Compliments

After reading the second chapter of "How to Win Friends and Influence People" my assignment is to find sincere ways to complement people around me and observe what happens.

A sincere compliment warrants a broad smile, looking in their eyes and saying "Thank you." Maybe "Thank you for noticing," "I am glad you like that," or "You are Welcome." Be confident that you are worthy of the compliment and more. And let that confidence allow you to share the compliment with others. Spread the joy you've received and compliment someone you know.

Every day I see my children, husband and the nanny. I rarely take the time to think about the great things that they all do. My children get the majority of my compliments. I am not practiced in complimenting my husband, I take him for granted. I pay my nanny, so I think that I am complimenting her every week. However, I know when I have complimented her, she brightens up and she enjoys being appreciated. She then thinks to do more things that she knows will make me happy. It's a positive momentum that is created when compliments are given and received.

It is going to take real effort on my part to make giving compliments a habit. I am accustomed to doing something big to show my appreciation. I know the little things can make as big a difference to people. I need to think about the positive things that the important people in my life give me.

The nanny does a great job playing with the kids and keeping them safe. The kids are learning a lot. She cooks us great meals. She keeps the house in order every day. She is expedient in her work. She does not need supervision and takes care of things the way I would. I have been thrilled with her. I can thank her for a specific thing she did. When I told her the meal yesterday was very good, she lit up.

My husband keeps our business on track. He spends a lot of time with the kids. He helps me with household items. He educates himself everyday. He thinks clearly with a purpose behind everything he says. He is an expert in rehabbing houses. He is passionate about his work. I enjoy spending every day with him.

People I meet throughout the day that I have little knowledge of need to be appreciated as well. The little things they do that I consider normal may be real efforts for them, so I should thank them. Everyone is busy. When I take the time to look at what people are doing for me and let them know I notice and appreciate it will make every person's day brighter.

Make it A Habit to Respect and Appreciate People

Last night I read the first chapter in "How to Win Friends and Influence People" and now I need to write a plan on how to show people I do business with how much I respect their efforts and how to make that action a habit. There are two things I can do to show those around me that I appreciate and respect their efforts. First, I can be positive around them. Second, I can acknowledge the little positive and good things that others do.

First, there were a couple things that I loved in the chapter. Benjamin Franklin said, "I will speak ill of no man, and speak the good I know of everybody." This powerful choice can change the course of your day. There is no point in spreading hurtful words about others. Negative words and emotions will spread to others like a disease. Just stop the negative emotion, that is a choice we have. Move on to something positive that will spread good emotions to everyone around us, because that is what will come back to us. Making progress, being efficient, creating success comes from positive actions. By being positive and letting negative things go, I will be productive and motivating to those around me. That in turn will help them be productive and motivating. I want my business partners to be productive and motivating so our business succeeds and we all realize the rewards of our efforts. It would pain me to know any negative emotions I had contributed to the failure of their hard work.

The other message I loved was from the essay "Father Forgets" by W. Livingston Larned. A father criticizes his son during the day and the boy still goes to the father to hug him to show that he loves him and wants his approval at the end of the day. The father realizes then the disservice his has been doing to his son. We are only human, living our lives the best we know how. We all need guidance and help. Positive reinforcement is the most productive way to get people to do what we want. We all want to be appreciated for the contributions we make at work, with our family, friends, society. When we are rewarded for little things that we do, we feel like doing more of the same. If we are criticized, we become defensive and look for ways to blame others. Finding small things to appreciate is a great way to keep our environment positive. We can also realize that every small positive step is an important part of the path to great success.