Pearl of the Day 
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A Self-Esteem Boost
July 23, 2010
Long-time readers of the Pearl of the Day know today's Pearl to be true, but a little reinforcement is a good thing. If you're new to the Pearl, this is a great time of the year to experience this message. Yesterday I walked into a meeting and one of the participants was about as unfriendly and dour as you will see. She was overweight, had some unfortunate facial pigmentation issues, and her personal presentation was not good. I very quickly attributed her attitude to a weakened self-esteem.
Here is what I did throughout the day to show her that I cared about her as a human being. Remember, the first principle of Outfluence is to focus on the needs of other people with whom you come into contact before focusing on your own needs. It can be as simple as acknowledging them with a few kind words and a nice smile. So the first thing that I did was stand, walk up to her, offer my hand and my smile and I introduced myself.
Throughout the day whenever she spoke or I had interaction with her directly I looked her in the eye, focused only on her and treated her as an equal. I respected her. I did my best to offer humor, most of it self-deprecating. By the end of our time together, I was able to coax a beautiful smile out of her that lit up her eyes. If she learns to lead with her appealing smile and sparkling eyes, her imperfections (which she will notice we all have) will give way to the light of her countenance.
Life signs – look for the opposite silent message in the signs. Where the outward sign says unfriendly, the silent sign may be poor self-esteem. That triggers the need for Outfluence.
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Patriot's Anthem |
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He has sounded from the trumpet that shall never call retreat He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment-seat Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! Be jubilant, my feet! Our God is marching on. Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on. Above are lyrics from the Battle Hymn of the Republic. On September 11, 2001, in three different locations on the east coast of the United States people died at the hands of terrorists. It was a violent reminder that our freedom and our lifestyle comes with a price. It was tragic evidence that evil and ignorance exist in the world. It is proof that awareness of human conduct, communication in all of its forms, and education of all people must continue to improve if our world is ever going to live in harmony. In the meantime, powerful lyrics such as those found in the Battle Hymn of the Republic sustain us when innocent people are lost to senseless acts. John is an only child. He is now married himself, and he and his wife are the parents of a two-year-old girl. The family is flying to Florida to visit Disneyland. From the airplane, John calls his father to say, "Dad, our plane has been hijacked; I don't know what to expect." John's father tells him that another plane had been hijacked and it was flown into the World Trade Center. "Dad, I think that's what's happening to us. I can see we're heading to New York. Oh, my God! What should we try to do?" Quickly, John recovers his emotions sufficiently to express concern for his elderly and ill father, and he attempts to comfort him. They both are crying. John says to his father, "The thing is we're all up here together, and it's going to be quick. Take care of mom." Sure enough, while John is talking to his dad, while the dad is watching his son's airplane on a television news program, Johns screams, "Oh my God! Oh my God! This is it!" As his dad listens to his son, he watches the airplane carrying his son and his family hit the second tower. Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites        |
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