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- One of the most prized skills you can develop is the ability to shut up. It's even more important than tying your shoes. You can use velcro for your shoes. [I guess you could use velcro for your mouth too but it would be awkward.] Not speaking, when accompanied by not thinking about what you're going to say next, leads to listening. Listening leads to learning. Learning leads to understanding. Understanding leads to a positive relationship. A positive relationship leads to friendship or sales or romance or whatever. Time to shut up.
- Do you ever hesitate to start a conversation with a new person because you don't know what to say? Don't worry about it. The main thing is how you say it. People are going to try to get a snapshot of the whole you. You can say almost anything as long as you are smiling and making eye contact. If its sunny, I might say "I hope the glare off my head isn't too bad in your eyes." It helps people see I don't take myself too seriously which makes them more comfortable. The main thing is to smile and look in their eyes with a look that says you are really glad to meet them. They probably won't remember the first thing you ever said to them but they will remember if your demeanor showed you thought they were valuable to find.
- What pops into your mind when you see the word "beauty"? Just for fun make a list of beautiful things. People, places, things. Whatever enters your mind when you think "beauty". Bet you feel better than you did before you started thinking about beauty. Beauty is exhilarating. It's uplifting. It's an ever present gift awaiting our attention. Make a special point to see it often today.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 3
What does the world need from you? If we sit around pondering how to save the world, we may come up with all sorts of things that should be done to fix it. We tend to think of things that should be done on a grand scale and usually put the responsibility for accomplishing these grand plans on somebody else. The better course is to concentrate on living your purpose. The thing you love. The thing that never grows old no matter how often you do it. The thing that gives you energy and makes you smile just thinking about it. The world needs you full of life and joy. Whether it's writing or singing or organizing or mountain climbing or loving-- whatever it is-- when you do it you become what you were created to be and that is exactly what the world needs.