In Dale Carnegie\’s How to influence people and make friends, he tells a story about a man who took time each day to write a list of things he wanted to change about himself. And even though I disagree with the practice, I do this almost daily…mentally. The problem is that it makes me self-conscious and worse yet, I can\’t always change my own habits. I am only aware of them and find myself biting down for doing something that I don\’t want to be.
For this week, I want to change the way I talk about people. When I talk about someone, I can get too focused on the positive or negative aspects. It\’s ironic because I remember during orientation Jack bashed Ellen\’s method of teaching. I disagreed with him, trying to prove to the other students that Ellen had her bad qualities.
Yet nowadays, I can bash people without remembering to share the positive sides. For instance, Charles. When introducing a new person into as a conversation topic, it is important to pain a double-sided picture. Real life is not one-sided and to make one\’s case believable, bringing both sides into the picture makes the person real and better yet, it shines upon other people that you\’re a fair person.
Yesterday on the ride to Clearfield, I talked too openly about Charles. I don\’t know why I complained so openly about him when I have never worked with him. I just heard so much, interacted so much…that it\’s just that feeling.