Walk a Mile in Someone Else's Shoes

We all face tough times in our lives. We all have bad days, myself included. We all have our own little pity parties, sometimes.  Take a moment to feel bad about whatever bad luck you've had or whatever little obstacle you've faced. After you've taken that brief moment to wallow in self pity (which is OK to do) get back up, brush yourself off, and snap out of it. So many people dwell forever on the small little trials & obstacles & annoyances in life instead of taking things in stride and moving on.

There are so many people in the world who are going through much more painful trials, devastating health issues, natural disasters, or numerous other obstacles that make our little complaints look like a single grain of sand. While you may be complaining that your so swamped at work, someone else is desperately trying to find a job, any job.  While you're complaining about that cold you caught, someone else is fighting cancer or some other deadly disease. While you're complaining that your food took too long to come out to you at a restaurant, someone else is just wishing they could put food on their table.

Step back from your own life & look around you.  Take a moment to reach out your hand to help lift someone else up from despair.  People may be smiling on the outside but look deeper and you may find they're drowning in fear, hurt, or pain.

Smile at everyone you pass & offer a warm hello.  You may just make all the difference in the world.

Trying to draw people to your product?

When you are trying to promote a product or survey people as to why they use a particular product, you need to remember that you are dealing with people who have genuine feelings & emotions & reasons for using certain products. You need to approach the subject of why they choose one product over a similar other product with compassion, understanding & a genuine desire to learn more about the consumer.  You should always ask your questions carefully & make sure you are not condescending or confrontational while talking with a consumer.  People will immediately put their guard up if they feel they are being attacked by you in the survey process.  You then run the risk of losing a potential new customer simply because you made them angry or you made them feel inferior or less than intelligent because they use a certain brand over another.  I had a person survey me about why I drank a certain beverage over another.  The conversation started out alright, with the questions being about why I purchase a certain "vitamin enhanced" beverage over another.  I was asked if I believed in the claims touted by the beverage makers and I was asked if price and/or taste played a larger role in my purchasing decisions.  These were all good questions and I had no problem giving my honest opinion.  Then, the questions became quite condescending & confrontational & honestly, made me feel like I was some kind of irresponsible consumer.  At that very moment, I lost the desire to even speak with the person surveying me & even worse, I have a negative opinion of a product that I haven't even had a chance to try yet. Do you want to lose a customer before you have even had a chance to get them to try your product?  I would think not. 

Bottom line, even as business people, all customers are emotional human beings first.  The moment you make a potential customer feel like they've been attacked or "talked down to" is the very moment you just lost a business prospect. And in that same short period of time, you should realize that bad word of mouth travels so much faster than good word of mouth. Is that a chance you want to take? 

Choose your words carefully!

The world is bigger than each of us individually

The world is so much bigger than each of us individually. Take the time to think of others in need even when you're struggling in life. You may realize your problems are just a grain of sand compared to the problems of another person. Lend a hand or a compassionate ear & you'd be amazed the difference you can make!

I saw this post from a friend on Facebook today. There is a young lady named Stacy who is fighting a battle with Cervical Cancer after it had been in remission for 9 years. I don't personally know her, but I know if it were me, I would want as much love & support & encouragement as possible while I battled the disease. I felt compelled to help spread the word.  Please check out the page dedicated to helping her through this difficult time.  

https://www.facebook.com/StacysCrusade

Even if you don't know her, offer her some words of encouragement. Isn't that what this world should be more about anyway?

It Only Takes a Moment To Make a Difference

In life, so many of us neglect to speak the feelings in our hearts & minds. This may be because we're so busy with our day to day lives that we simply forget to express the love & caring we feel for family and/or friends.  I've been guilty of this on many occasions but, over time, I have realized that the feelings in our hearts need to be expressed, and frequently.

Have you taken the time to contact your family, friends, or loved ones today just to say hello & ask how they've been? Have you noticed that a loved one has been struggling in their personal or professional life but neglected to lend them even a compassionate ear?

When you take the time to let someone know that you've been thinking of them, or that you've noticed they seem to be struggling in some aspect of their life & you want to be there for support, you would be amazed at how you can improve a person's life. A simple act of lending an ear so someone can vent about what is bothering them can make the biggest difference. Wouldn't it feel good to know you made someone smile because they realize that they aren't alone during trials in their life? Or even better, wouldn't it be wonderful to know you're thoughtfulness & concern helped them overcome an obstacle they were facing?

I make it a point in my life to express caring & compassion towards everyone in my life, even if they are someone I may only see once in my life.  Take a moment to smile at everyone you pass....even a stranger walking by you. You may bring someone a renewed sense of optimism & make their day so much brighter all in a split second.