Opportunity Knocks Twice; Chapter 20

Editor's Note: Utah Pulse is serializing the book, 'Opportunity Knocks Twice,' by Don Hale, as told to Mark Hale. We'll publish two chapters a week. You'll enjoy the wit and wisdom of one of Utah's great entrepreneurs, founder of Hires Big H. To buy the book, click here.

SECTION SIX
Be Good With People
By Being Good to People

Learn to be good with people. Such a skill makes life pleasant and makes you more effective in everything you do. Much of life is in the approach. If you do not like the response you receive from someone, change your approach. Generally, changing your approach changes their response. Become skillful at reading people and how they respond to you. As you develop the art of reading peoples’ responses, and as you change accordingly, you will develop great people skills. You will learn how to approach and get along with almost anyone.
Being good to people is perhaps even more important than being good with people. People always remember the kindness shown to them. And people tend to treat those who have been good to them far better than they might normally treat others. Kindness will precede you in reputation, making your life easier. Goodness will open doors of opportunity that might otherwise be shut.

Goodness and kindness create a treasure chest of good memories. So much of life is about memories. Create good memories for yourself and others by being good and kind to those you encounter.

Live outside yourself to be your best self.

CHAPTER TWENTY
Be Good With People

My mom and dad were good with people, a skill that helped them do well in their business. Hopefully, I learned that same quality. Shirley was really good with people. People loved Shirley because of her kindness to them. Over the years, I have realized that to be successful in life one needs to learn how to treat and be good with people. Here are six qualities that, over time, I have tried to make a part of my character:
1. Be interested in others. Be interested in their ideas, pursuits, well-being, and families. Look them in the eye and give them undivided attention when speaking with them. Let everyone you meet, however humble, feel that you regard him as a person of importance.
2. Seek the opportunity to say an encouraging word. Almost everyone carries a heavy load. Look for the chance to say kind words to others. Praise good actions. Point out positive qualities. If necessary, critique helpfully, not hurtfully. Disallow conversation about the vices of others. Say less than you think. Always consider the feelings of others.
3. Be cheerful, pleasant, and gracious. Smile. Carry your pains, worries, and disappointments with a cheerful countenance. Refuse to be bothered by small irritations. Develop a pleasant sounding voice. How you say things often counts more than what you say. Be gracious in all your interactions with others. People like to be around those who are cheerful, pleasant, and gracious.
4. Develop a sense of humor. Use positive humor—humor that builds up, compliments, and encourages rather than negative humor—humor that cuts down, belittles, and hurts. Learn to laugh at yourself and recognize the humor in many of life’s situations. Laughter is both contagious and therapeutic.
5. Do right by others. Doing right by others brings fairness to them and peace to you. And nothing is more valuable than peace of mind. No thought, no word, no action is worth the price of peace of mind. There seems to exist ever present principles of right and wrong. Doing right brings good to others and, sooner or later, brings good to you. Doing wrong hinders others and, sooner or later, brings negative things to you. Somehow, life seems to eventually make us account for all of our actions.
6. Let your virtues speak for themselves. Make promises sparingly and keep them faithfully—no matter what it costs you. Do not be anxious about getting your just dues. Forget yourself. Do your work. Be patient. Eventually others will notice your ethics and respect you.