I’m sure you’ve all heard the old adage, “You can go to the well once too often.” It means that you can only ask another person for favors so many times before you wear out your welcome. This is true only if you fail to maintain your relationships. As long as you maintain your relationships,…
Many people try to avoid difficult situations by taking the easy way out. The reason is that the easy way out appears to involve less effort, less hassle and less stress. While that may be true, taking the easy way has some very costly consequences: First of all, there’s no payoff. Taking the easy way…
Mistakes Some people are so afraid of making a mistake that they let this fear paralyze them into inaction. What we have to remember is that life is all about making mistakes–and learning from them! If you’re not out there making mistakes, you’re not growing. It’s impossible to be creative, innovative or achieve progress…
Nothing is more frustrating or demoralizing than to go the extra mile and have nobody notice. Such an experience can really take the wind out of your sails and quell your desire to do it again. On the other hand, people absolutely thrive in an environment where their efforts get noticed and they become very…
Relationships Need Intentional Care Personal relationships don’t maintain themselves. They need to be intentionally fed and cared for if you expect them to thrive. This involves regularly visiting the people you have relationships with, either in person or over the phone, when you don’t ask for anything. If the only time you call or call on one of…
Conversation The secret to getting another person to hang on your every word is simple–talk about them. If you talk about them, they will listen to you all day. Always keep in mind, the other person is dying to tell his or her story, but couldn’t care less about yours. The minute you introduce the…
There is only one thing that gets people excited about doing anything; it’s their self-interest–what’s in it for them. So, if you want to get people excited about going the extra mile for you over and over again, all you have to do is figure out their self-interest and connect it with yours. This may…
Dreaming Sometimes, when you share a dream that you’re excited about with those around you, you’ll find their responses to be less than encouraging. For example, if you’re thinking about changing careers, starting your own business or going after a promotion, some of your friends and colleagues may tell you to stay where you…
There is only one thing that gets people excited about doing anything; it’s their self-interest–what’s in it for them. So, if you want to get people excited about going the extra mile for you over and over again, all you have to do is figure out their self-interest and connect it with yours. This may…
Caring costs you nothing, it makes you feel good and it makes those around you feel good. It also makes you look good to those who observe your caring behaviors and now you have all these people who are looking for a chance to care back–this is Win-Win in action. What’s interesting is that while…