Ray’s Daily
December 10, 2018
Life is a mirror, it reflects your face. Be friendly, and all of life will reflect friendliness.
Rajneesh
At our new home we eat at least two meals a day in our facilities dining room. It is a large comfortable place where most of the tables are four tops. Part of what adds to making our days pleasant are the folks we seated with. Our fellow residents come from a wide range of backgrounds and often share some of their interesting experiences.
Many of these folks are warm and outgoing while others are shy and somewhat introverted. One of my new friends said one time she hated to sit at a table where there was no conversation. I like people too much to stay mute and find that even the most reticent of our fellow tenants respond to a warm greeting and a sincere interest in who they are and what makes them special.
The other day I read an article from Inc magazine entitled Simple Activities That Science Proves Can Change Your Personality for the Better that can help folks open up. I know you don’t need to change but maybe you know someone who does. Here are some of the suggestions from the article:
- Before you go to bed, reflect on a positive social experience you had during the day, and what you liked about it
- Say hello to a cashier at a store
- Prepare a few well-rehearsed and brief responses to commonly asked questions, such as “What do you do for a living?”
- Say hello to someone you’ve never met and comment on your shared surroundings (e.g., “The weather is nice!”, “These flowers are beautiful!”, “I love the song this store is playing!”)
- Write a list of questions to ask new people.
- When someone asks for your opinion (e.g., “where should we eat?”; “what do you think about this topic?”), give your honest opinion
- Open up and honestly tell a close friend about a problem you’re currently experiencing
- When you wake up, say aloud to yourself, “I choose to be happy today”
- Express gratitude to another person (e.g., tell a friend why you appreciate them)
- Spend at least five minutes journaling about your day. Write about what happened, but also about your feelings
- Spend at least 30 minutes going on a photo hunt with your phone. Take pictures of things that make you happy (e.g., pretty flowers, friends, a comfortable bed, yourself)
- When you notice a negative thought, acknowledge the negative thought, but think three true positive thoughts about the same topic (e.g., “I hate that it’s raining on my Saturday. But we need the rain, slow weekends help me appreciate fast ones, and this gives me time to catch up on work”)
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When you smile and project an aura of warmth, kindness, and friendliness, you will attract warms, kindness, and friendliness. Happy people will be drawn to you.
Joel Osteen
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The tensions of life were threatening to get a strangle hold on Bob, and after he’d finished a good dinner, he relaxed mindlessly in a soft chair next to the stereo, with a stiff drink in his hand. His wife knew nothing of his nervous state, and she climbed onto his lap with the thought of trying to wheedle a fur coat out of him, and snuggled and murmured and fondled.
“Good heavens, Ethel,” he exploded, “get off of me! I get enough of this at the office.”
~~~
The real art of conversation is not only to say the right thing at the right time, but also to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.
~~~
My English professor was stopped for speeding. When asked why she was driving so fast, she quoted Robert Frost: “I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep.”
“But, Miss,” replied the officer, obviously familiar with the poet, “Frost chose the road less traveled, and, unfortunately for you, this wasn’t it.”
~~~
A lawyer asked a boy, who was a witness in court: “Did anyone tell you what to say in court?”
“Yes, sir.”
“I thought so! Who was it?”
“My father, sir.”
“And what did he tell you?”
“He said the lawyers would try to get me all tangled up, but if I stuck to the truth, I would be all right.”
~~~
Got kleptomania? Take something for it.
~~~
Two men were talking about the secret of a long and happy marriage. “Our marriage” said one “is built on trust and understanding.” “My wife doesn’t trust me and I don’t understand her.”
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There are two kinds of people: those who do the work, and those who take the credit. Try to be in the first group; there is less competition there.
Indira Gandhi
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A man left for work one Friday afternoon. But it was payday, so instead of going home, he stayed out the entire weekend partying with the boys and spending his entire pay check.
When he finally appeared at home on Sunday night, he was confronted by his angry wife and was barraged for nearly two hours with a tirade befitting his actions. Finally his wife stopped the nagging and said to him, “How would you like it if you didn’t see me for two or three days?” He replied, “That would be fine with me.”
Monday went by and he didn’t see his wife. Tuesday and Wednesday came and went with the same results. But on Thursday, the swelling went down just enough where he could see her a little out of the corner of his eye.
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The very best way in all the world to overcome self-consciousness and shyness is to get interested in other people and to think of them and, almost miraculously, your timidity will pass. Do something for other people. Practice deeds of kindness, acts of friendliness, and you’ll be surprised to see what happens.
Dale Carnegie
~~~
Ray Mitchell
Indianapolis, Indiana
Management is not responsible for duplicates from previous dailies. The editor is somewhat senile.
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