''Without Honey''
opportunities knock once then are gone
And the world's not a train that comes screeching to stop
just because you now want to get on
Realize that the world owes you nothing
but there's nothing you need ever want
Kind words and a smile make you rich, high and wise
as any millionaire, king or savant
We climb up on the shoulders of others
tear me down and you've no place to go
For the one way to rise above others around
is to lift everyone whom you know
In your quest and pursuit of true greatness
share this truth with everyone you shall meet:
You'll still catch more bees using honey, I'm told
and you'll find that your life's just as sweet!
COMMENTARY:
I received an interesting message on my voicemail a few days ago. Seems an individual I met briefly a while back called in search of a contact number of his former business partner--a mutual friend. If I had the number, the caller asked, I should call back and provide it (A fair enough request, I thought).
By the next day, however, I received a quite lengthy (almost 3-minute) message berating me for not being quick on the call-back. Among other admonitions, I heard affronts to my character, attacks on my credibility, and doubts about my talents. I heard, "practice what you preach," "show some respect for those who call you" and "return calls promptly," and even "I can probably teach you more than you can teach me about profit," and on and on...
I was saddened by the realization that this was a person who had gone through (I estimate about 60 years of) life, and the only strategy they knew of to get people to help them was to berate them and shame them into it.
I recalled the lessons I had learned from my sales training in ACN, The Psychology of Achievement by Brian Tracy, as well as the book How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. There are techniques for relating to others and getting people to help you. It's a fact that the only way to feel good about yourself is to boost the self esteem of others. Think about it. Think what a dismal reality life would be if the only way to move up in life was to tear others down. (Some people practice this technique but pay for it later). The truth is that the best way to get what you want in life is to help others get what they want. The way to feel good about yourself is to say and do things to make others feel good about themselves. And the best way to get people to help you is to make sure they like you first. It's a simple lesson. But one that many people never truly got: "You catch more bees with honey than with vinegar."
Don't make the same mistake this caller made! Get some honey!
EPILOGUE:
So what did I do, you ask? Some might say I should call and explain to the caller why such a message was inappropriate. But, I'm not sure that would work. If that individual felt within all rights and justified in leaving such a message, (people never do anything they know is wrong), then I'm not sure the caller could really grasp the concept of inappropriate, and I'd end up in a fruitless, irresolvable debate.
I erased the call and moved on with my day.
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