Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by John C. Maxwell (2013-02-15) from his book, Be A People Person: Effective Leadership Through Effective Relationships (p. 162). David C. Cook. Kindle Edition. ( Click on the title of the book to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Who in your life has encouraged you?   It made a difference didn’t it? John shares, “The secret of Andrew Carnegie’s genius for developing others was his ability to encourage good qualities while holding faultfinding to a minimum.” He also says, “I have yet to find the person, whatever his or her station in life, who did not perform better under a spirit of approval than under criticism. There are enough critics in the world; what we need are more cheerleaders!” Let me give you some words of encouragement from a poem that John shared: “People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered— love them anyway! If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives— do good anyway! If you are successful, you wil

A thought by John C. Maxwell (2013-02-15) from his book, Be A People Person: Effective Leadership Through Effective Relationships (p. 157). David C. Cook. Kindle Edition. ( Click on the title of the book to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) There will be times that we need to confront as a parent, as a boss or as a friend. There are also times that you and I need to be confronted.   John gives some good thoughts on this.   John says, “Always give confrontation the ‘sandwich treatment.’ Sandwich the criticism between praise at the beginning and encouragement at the end. To leave a discouraged person without hope is cruel and vindictive. Goethe, the German poet, said, ‘Correction does much, but encouragement does more. Encouragement after censure is as the sun after a shower.’” That is very good. John then says, “In my effort to simplify things as much as possible, I have come up with one-word descriptions of the various ways people will respond to confrontation:

A thought by John C. Maxwell (2013-02-15) from his book, Be A People Person: Effective Leadership Through Effective Relationship s (p. 152). David C. Cook. Kindle Edition. ( Click on the title of the book to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) I really don’t like criticism but I know that it is a part of life especially if you are striving to make a difference.   John says, “When you have optional time, spend it with people who will build you up. Enough quality time with positive people will minimize the effect of negative criticism.” But then he says, “It will also discourage you from being critical. When a hawk is attacked by crows, he does not counterattack. Instead, he soars higher and higher in ever widening circles until the pests leave him alone. Circle above your adversaries rather than battle with them. If your positive attitude has any effect on negative people, it will be because of your example, not your defensiveness. So rise above them. It really is hard to