BR: How to Succeed With People

I was encouraged to re-read "How to Win Friends and Influence People" this time last year. Read it and tried out the principles Carnegie explains. The results were depressing for me. People I smiled at and showed interest in either thought I was hitting on them, making a romantic move, or being condescending. Than the fact that I was attempting to be a nicer person towards other people led others to think that I was socially inept and needed their personal assistance/interference in my life. Needless to say, "Influence" and it's principles assisted others in making my life a living hell.

I just started reading "How to Succeed With People" by Stephen Covey and already see a huge difference in thinking that is helpful and more applicable to me. He included this quote by Goethe in the first few chapters,  "Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least." He explains that to be successful with people in general we must first work on ourselves and recognize why we do certain things. We have to get to the root of why we make the choices we make so we can break the perpetual cycle that doesn't allow us to be who we are with ourselves or others.


I like that he says the first things we need to do are spiritual, physical, and organizational. We need to take time to have personal communion with God through prayer, scripture study, and personal meditation. Physically we must exercise and take time to do some jumping jacks or run up and down the stairs. Organizationally, planning makes life simpler. I am all about simple right now. If you take an hour out of every day just for you to improve you, then you start to feel better about yourself. 


I like this and think it will be better than showing interest in others so that they will send you Christmas cards or using their full name at every singly opportunity. Ugh!




To be continued.....