Ray’s Daily
May 16, 2019
Good words are worth much, and cost little.
George Herbert
We often talk about how important it is to continue to make friends as time goes by. This is especially true during our golden years. Many, like my wife and I move to a less challenging environment, leaving friends and neighbors behind. Also, when we retire we lose the socialization that is found in the work place. And then you discover you are outliving many of your friends.
We must do everything we can to avoid lonesomeness and we do that by making new friends. I have found that the people I am attracted to are warm and friendly and are also open to make new friends.
A few years ago Jon Gordon offered tips on being a good communicator. It is our communications skills that are the key to building relationships so I want to share his thoughts with you today
Ways to be a Positive Communicator
- Shout Praise, Whisper Criticism – Shouting praise means you recognize someone in front of their peers and whispering criticism means you coach them to get better. Both build better people and teams.
- Smile More – When you share a real smile it not only produces more serotonin in your brain but in the brain of the recipient of your smile. Never underestimate the power of a smile. As a positive communicator you have the power to make someone feel better just by smiling.
- Don’t Complain – When you complain you lose power, effectiveness and credibility as a communicator and leader. Most of all complaining is toxic and sabotages you and your team.
- Encourage – We all need encouragement and positive communicators encourage and inspire others to do more and become more than they ever thought possible.
- Spread Positive Gossip – Instead of sharing negative gossip, be the kind of communicator who spreads positive news about people.
- Sometimes You Have to Listen More and Talk Less – Positive communicators don’t just talk. They listen. They ask questions and really listen. Positive communicators make others feel important by listening to them and truly hearing what they have to say.
- Welcome Feedback – Positive communicators also listen to and welcome ideas and suggestions on how they can improve. They don’t fear criticism. They welcome it knowing it makes them better.
- Celebrate Success – Instead of focusing on what went wrong each day, positive communicators focus on what went right. They celebrate their successes, even the small ones, knowing that small wins lead to big wins.
- Give High Fives, Handshakes, Pats on the Back – Positive communication isn’t just verbal. It’s also physical. In a world where physical touch has become taboo because of misuse and abuse we must remember that it is a way we humans communicate naturally and is very powerful and beneficial when done appropriately with good intention.
~~~
Trust is the glue of life. It’s the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It’s the foundational principle that holds all relationships.
Stephen Covey
~~~
The farm had been mortgaged, and gladly, to give daughter a college education. Now, driving home from the station after meeting her at the train, farmer Johnson was greatly disturbed when his daughter whispered, “I have a confession to make, Paw – I ain’t a virgin no more.” The old man shook his head sadly. “After all the sacrifices your Maw and I made to give you a good education, you still say ain’t!”
~~~
There is no greater joy nor greater reward than to make a fundamental difference in someone’s life.
Sister Mary Rose McGeady
~~~
Our new office computer system was down as much as it was working. My co-worker Cathy decided to stay late one evening to catch up on the work that had accumulated. On her way home, a police officer stopped her for speeding. “What a perfect end to an awful day!” she exclaimed. “Our computer is up, then down — up, then down. I stay late to catch up, and now this!”
The officer was unaffected by Cathy’s griping and he went to his car to prepare a citation. After what seemed an eternity, he returned with her license and registration. As he handed them to her, he smiled and said, “Our computer is down.”
~~~
I grew up in a large family. The only way my parents could afford to feed us all was to start a game of hide-and-seek right before dinner.
~~~
A housewife with three small children was getting dinner ready, when the telephone rang. The six-year-old picked it up, and said, “Hi, Daddy!”, and began telling him about her day.
She then passed the phone to her brother and sister, as was the custom whenever Daddy called from work. When it was finally the wife’s turn to talk, she took the receiver, and said, “Hi, Hon.”
“Thank goodness, Lady,” the voice on the other end replied. “I just called to tell you that the wallpaper you ordered has arrived!”
~~~
He who wants a rose must respect the thorn.
Persian proverb
~~~
Jill went to a “Dude Ranch”. The cowboy preparing the horses asked if Jill wanted a Western or English saddle, and she asked what the difference was. When he told her one had a horn and one didn’t, Jill replied, “The one without the horn is fine. I don’t expect we’ll run into too much traffic.”
~~~
We need to learn to set our course by the stars, not by the lights of every passing ship.
Omar N. Bradley
~~~
A Polish gentleman went to the ophthalmologist who showed him a card, with the letters C Z W X N Q S T A C Z printed on it.
“Can you read this?” he asked
“Read it?” The gentleman replied, “I know the guy!”
~~~
Words are singularly the most powerful force available to humanity. We can choose to use this force constructively with words of encouragement, or destructively using words of despair. Words have energy and power with the ability to help, to heal, to hinder, to hurt, to harm, to humiliate and to humble.
Yehuda Berg
~~~
Ray Mitchell
Indianapolis, Indiana
Management is not responsible for duplicates from previous dailies. The editor is somewhat senile.
Ray’s Daily has been sent for more than fifteen years to people who want to start their day on an upbeat. If you have system overload because of our daily clutter, let me know and I will send you the information via mental telepathy. If you have not been getting our daily you can request to be added by e-mailing me at raykiwsp@gmail.com. Back issues are posted at http://rays-daily,com/ currently there are more than 2000 readers from around the world.
Ray's Daily 
Leave a Reply