Wednesday; July 11


          Have you ever come upon someone in a social setting whose first language was obviously not English and wondered what to do next?  I have come to accept the fact that about the best I am going to be able to accomplish in the foreign language department is the ability to read the menu at my local Mexican restaurant or find the beach on a Caribbean Island, so I have often found myself standing there in that awkward moment of what comes next.  Usually, at that point, one of us smiles – and that it all it takes.  A smile is a smile in any language.  We may not be able to carry on a long conversation but, we can be civil and friendly with each other without saying a word.
          It has been said that non-verbal communication is the most common way of exchanging ideas.  Whether it is through body language or tone of voice, how we act usually tells more about us (and our mood) than the words we use.  If we want to become fluent in any language, the first thing we need to be able to do is learn to smile.  When we smile, we set the tone for the rest of the interaction.  Even if we never say a word our communication will be enhanced by a genuine smile.
          If it were possible to meet ourselves on the street what would our first impressions of us be?  If we want to be more accomplished and have a bigger impact on people, let’s practice smiling.  It never gets old and most of the time it is an investment in others that will be returned to us many times over.
Think About It!

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