“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” - Leo Buscaglia
Have you ever started to pay someone a compliment or to say something nice to them and then stopped yourself? Why did you stop? Did you think it seemed silly or too sentimental or that perhaps they had already heard what you had to say? Next time you have something nice to say to someone, let it fly! There are too many people who seem to think we need to hear all of their negative input. Being able to give and receive constructive criticism is part of our growth, but giving and receiving sincere praise is part of our growth too.
You do not always know when something you do or say will make someone’s day. And not in the cranky violent “Go ahead, make my day” way that Clint Eastwood made famous in his role as Harry Callahan. I mean in a positive, putting a smile on someone’s face, a spring in their step kind of way. (OK, my true fans of the Harry Callahan character will try to tell me, but he did mean put a smile on my face. Please, let it go. YOU know what I mean!)
Another way to think about this is to consider the fact that if you want to experience happiness; you need to be the source of happiness to others. That does not mean run around making insincere comments or gestures so that some type of happiness comes back to you. It means when you authentically offer up a kind word or a helpful action to others you too will experience positive feelings. In fact you might experience the benefits immediately. When someone turns to you and says, “Thanks that just made my day” or “Thanks I was really having a tough day and you just made me smile”; doesn’t your day get better too? I hope so!
Next time you have something nice to say to someone – go for it. So what if they have already heard it? It might just be the encouragement they need to get through a difficult day.
Margaret developed a passionate belief that it takes courage and skill to be human at work and that all individuals have a responsibility to treat each other with dignity, respect and compassion.
Motivated by her beliefs and the desire to make a difference in the lives of others, Margaret acted on her vision by founding Meloni Coaching Solutions, Inc. Her vision is to create a group of successful individuals who are at peace with their authentic selves; a group of people who help and support others; a group who bring humanity to the office and thrive because of it. Margaret sees a world where achieving peace and achieving success go hand-in-hand.
Margaret’s students and clients often find that what she really brings them is freedom to bring their authentic selves to the office. As a former Information Technology Executive, Margaret always knew her preference was for the people behind the technology. Now Margaret brings those beliefs to individuals from many professional backgrounds. The common thread across her client base is the desire to experience peace at work and the recognition that peace is not absence of conflict, peace is the ability to cope with conflict. For these people, Margaret Meloni is truly ‘A Path to Peace’. ™
You can learn more about Margaret and her courses, programs, and products at: www.MargaretMeloni.com
Additional Resources covering Conflict Resolution can be found at:
Website Directory for Conflict Resolution
Articles on Conflict Resolution
Products for Conflict Resolution
Discussion Board
Margaret Meloni, the Official Guide to Conflict Resolution