10 Relationship Commandments

My dear friend, Nickie Kohler, shared this inspiring little piece with me the other day.  Though the author is anonymous, the principles are universal:

1.  Speak to people.  There is nothing so nice as a cheerful word of greeting.

2.  Smile at people.  It takes 72 muscles to frown, only 14 to smile.

3.  Call people by name,  The sweetest music to their ears is the sound of their own name.

4.  Be friendly and helpful.  If you would have friends, be a friend.

5.  Be cordial.  Speak and act as if everything you do is a genuine pleasure.

6.  Be genuinely interested in people.  You can like almost everybody if you try.

7.  Be generous with praise -- cautious with criticism.

8.  Be considerate with the feelings of others.  There are usually three sides to a controversy: yours, the other person's, and the right side.

9.  Be alert to give service.  What counts most in life is what we do for others.

10.  Add to this a good sense of humor, a big dose of patience, and a dash of humility, and you'll be rewarded many-fold.s