Leaders Need Followers To Be Successful!

Have you ever noticed that some employees will stay in jobs that they do not really enjoy, or are not really suited to for long periods of time? Have you met people who stay in a lower paying job even though they have been offered more money somewhere else? A business needs long-term employees in order to be successful and competitive over the long run. So why aren’t all employees loyal to one employer for their entire careers?

It is a common assumption in business that people seldom actually leave a job for money. My experience as a manager taught me that there is a lot of truth in that statement. Money is often used as an excuse but truly engaged employees will never know how much they are worth at another shop because they do not search for other opportunities and they do not even entertain offers from other employers. So what might be different about a workplace where employees stay on board through thick and thin, year in and year out? Two words explain it: Great Leadership!

When I was a regional manager for a large multi-national firm, I could almost always correlate large staff turnover rates with poor branch performance. That part was easy to understand because when a lot of staff are coming and going, the experienced workers are stretched by doing more than their share of the work, while at same time having to train the new employees. The new employees, through no fault of their own generally know very little about their new jobs and have a huge learning curve to overcome before they can become good performers. In poorly lead companies, many of them do not make it past the training stage and every time a trainee leaves the firm, another experienced person is pushed that much closer to the door. While all of that is going on, the business cannot possibly focus on strong performance and production tends to wane.

In almost every case where I found large turnover rates, I found a manager who was not a leader. In most of those cases, when I spoke to them about it, they could not understand why their people did not choose to stay and they protested ferociously if I suggested that employees might be leaving because of their management style. Usually they argued that the people were the problem and it had nothing to do with them. In most cases they felt that they did everything any great leader would do under the circumstances and that they simply had a shortage of good applicants. They could not accept the idea that people did not enjoy working for them and they had no idea what to do about it. They did not understand that they had employees, but what they really needed were followers. In a few cases, I was forced to relieve those managers of their management positions in order to maintain the profitability of the branches. Some people can learn to be better leaders through training and personal development, while others cannot.

Here are ten things that great leaders do to engage their employees and keep them on staff:


• They lead with humility and selflessness, putting the needs of employees ahead of their own.

• They work tirelessly, setting a great example for their team.

• They support their workers when they have problems or get into trouble.

• They listen constantly and consistently to their workers.

• They respond immediately, openly and honestly when asked a question.

• They do not play favourites and treat everyone fairly and equitably.

• They never show impatience or anger toward employees.

• They never speak negatively about employees behind their backs.

• They make good decisions for the business and for their workers.

• They understand that every person is different and that no two people perform the same way.

Of course this is not the complete list. There are many attributes that make up a great leadership style but most importantly great leaders must know how to lead themselves first and they must accept that they too, have room to grow. Only through self-awareness can any person lead another. A manager who has large staff turnover rates and poor performance has probably not come to grips with his or her inability to lead. Until he or she looks in the mirror and tells the person looking back that they need to change, they will never become a great leader.

A leader without long-term, engaged and devoted followers is just a lonely person with a title.

All the Best!
Wayne Kehl

It's A Dog's Life

As I travel through my life, I  often notice that dogs have some interesting effects on people. In the presence of a dog, even the gruffest, most hardened human beings can become soft and caring. I also notice that in the past few decades, more and more people are adopting dogs than ever before. In fact, I believe it safe to say that human beings harbour much more generalized affection for the entire canine species than they do for the human race. As a lifelong dog lover, my observations caused me to ask myself some very important questions about our puppy friends...

•  Why do so many people own a dog or wish they could own a dog?
•  Why do so many people stroke the hair of almost every dog they meet?
•  Why do people hold their hands out for olfactory inspection by even the scariest mutts?
• Why do people enjoy watching dogs playing with their owners in a park or in their homes?
• Why is human behaviour more patient and kind with dogs than with people? 
• What is it that dogs do to affect the emotions of people so deeply? 
• Why do seventy percent of dog owners call themselves Mommy or Daddy to their dogs? 
• What is it about dogs that make people so darned happy?

Of course some of the answers are obvious...dogs are cute, funny and fun to play with. Because they are not human, they are incapable of lying, cheating or bragging. In a wonderful way, they always display a childish naiveté and sense of wonder. I was curious though, if there might be some deeper reasons why people love dogs. My curiosity led me to the following conclusions:

The positive influence of dogs can be traced right back to human infancy. Exposure to well-behaved dogs can improve intellectual and cognitive development in babies and small children while stimulating their immune systems to help them avoid allergies and skin irritations. With increased exposure to pets, even at a very early age, babies will learn compassion and responsibility for animals that will spill over to their relationships with human beings.

As children age, their relationships with dogs can help them improve their self-esteem, increase their empathy toward others, and nurture better communication skills. Dogs tend to give insecure adolescents a sense of purpose and a feeling of value to the world that they would not otherwise have. That confidence can improve their natural ability to socialize with other people.

A dog can provide much-needed companionship to adults and provide them with a purpose for living while encouraging a more active life. “Walking the dog,” is, after all one of the most common forms of physical exercise in North America. Studies have indicated that a dog in the workplace can bring employee stress levels down and improve morale. It is also believed that dog ownership can directly or indirectly provide some of the following health benefits to adults:

• Lowered blood pressure

• Lower cholesterol levels

• Increase immunity to illness

• Reduced stress levels

• Reduced anxiety and depression levels

• Diminished incidence of heart disease

I am not an animal psychologist or a “dog whisperer” but I think it is safe to say that the main reason people enjoy being around dogs is because they provide unconditional love to the human beings closest to them. No matter how aloof a dog-owner is or how mean or uncaring he or she might be, a dog’s naturally generous nature will cause the pup to come back for more. Dogs always forgive their owners their greatest transgressions as they optimistically strive for a greater share of the affection all human beings are capable of. All they want from their owners is love and the opportunity to love them back.

Dogs that are taught bad behavior by a human being might be considered bad dogs but even those dogs love their owners. A dog that has been trained to be aggressive or even vicious by human beings will seldom, if ever turn on his or her owner or trainers. Most dogs are inherently good natured. Even a vicious dog will strive for the love and affection of the people closest to him or her. They are only vicious because they believe that is what their owners want. Their aggressiveness is a desperate display of loyalty. Only a human being can create a bad dog.

If human beings could learn to be more like the dogs they cherish, the world would be a much better place, indeed. There might still be an occasional dogfight, but the abundance of unconditional love, generosity, and forgiveness would far outweigh any negatives.

Keep an eye on the dogs in your life. They might just help you learn how to get along with people just a little bit better!

All the Best
Wayne Kehl

Lighten Up Or Heavy Up...The Choice Is Yours

Have you ever noticed that a lot of people tend to take themselves too seriously? You know who I mean:



• Those folks who huff and puff with righteous indignation whenever they are challenged.


• Those people who glare and stare whenever someone says something they believe is inappropriate.


• Those individuals who seem to believe that it is okay for them to say things to others that should never be directed at them.


Do you have people like that in your life? Do you from time to time find them becoming annoyed by words, situations, or people that they would accept in the past but which have suddenly become intolerable to their egocentric psyches? Are you one of those people? When you see this happening in yourself or others, what do you think might be happening?


Human beings are driven by ego. Every person with a beating heart possesses some level of egoism. Egoism must not be confused with Egotism. The subtle difference between the two is that egoism is the natural pride and self esteem that we all have for ourselves while egotism is an outward display of self esteem which usually comes across as arrogance or conceit. Egotism is generally undesirable in human society but egoism is necessary for a normal, happy life. People who lose their egoism are usually depressed, miserable, or feeling a sense of despair. They have given up. Egoism is what made human beings the superior beings on our planet. It is that special ingredient that causes us to build huge buildings, fly to the moon and constantly research cures for diseases. It creates in us, a need to win!


Occasionally, egoism can turn to egotism. I call this heavying up. Sometimes a person who is normally even tempered and easy to get along with will change their approach to specific relationships. When that happens, we find folks saying things like this:


• “You can’t talk to me like that!” or


• “That’s not funny!” or


• “Whatever!” or


• “How would you know?”


Often this is because the person saying those things has allowed his or her ego to take flight in order to elevate them to a higher position than the person they are talking to. They have decided that the words or actions of the other person are repugnant to them in some way and have decided to react in an egotistical, humourless fashion, thereby belittling the other individual. It is intended to put them down or control them. Sometimes they will simply become uncommunicative in an effort to freeze the other person out. Sound familiar?


There can be many reasons for heavying up but usually the person that has allowed his or her ego to take over is feeling demeaned, insulted, hurt or simply afraid. Their ego is telling them to strike out in order to take control. Rather than thinking the situation through and treating the other person as an equal they believe that they can win by being superior, difficult, sarcastic or uncaring. For a moment in time they are acting like someone else. Their behaviour is neither characteristic nor acceptable even to them. They have been taken over by their internal self-defence mechanisms and they don’t really understand the ramifications of their actions.


When you come across people who are heavying up on you, do not react in kind. Do not retaliate with sarcasm or nastiness. That will only make the situation worse. Instead, take the high road and calmly explain to them that you mean no harm and that you would like help in resolving the issue at hand. Ask if you have offended them somehow and let them know that their opinions matter to you. The idea is to soften their egotistical veneer so that you can get back on track. Usually when it is made clear to someone in the throes of heavying up that they are being unfair or unpleasant, their ego will force them back into a more reasonable frame of mind. You see, no one really wants to be viewed as unfair, rude or egotistical and once they realize that they have been caught, they will revert to a more acceptable mode of communication.


By the way, if you ever find yourself snapping at someone for no apparent good reason, remember this:

Stop taking yourself so seriously and LIGHTEN UP!

 If you can do that every time, your stress level will reduce and you will have a much happier life.


All the Best


Wayne Kehl

"Getting Along With People Is Easy!" (Selfishness)

This is excerpt from my book, "Getting Along With People Is Easy":

EIGHTH COMMANDMENT

DO NOT BE SELFISH

• If you want to get along with people think about someone other than yourself. If you are not getting along with people it is probably largely to do with your own actions and the fact that you are thinking more about yourself than the person you are not getting along with.

 

I once applied for a job as a sales manager with a large, international insurance firm. Part of the application process was a multiple-choice exam to determine the mindsets of the various candidates. I can only recall one question on the exam: “What is the most important characteristic of a great sales manager?” There were ten possible answers and I had to rank them from one to ten in order of importance. I got it wrong. I vaguely recall that the answer I chose as number one had to do with market knowledge and the ability to stay in touch with client needs. The actual best answer was, “The desire to see others do well.” Frankly, I had never observed that selfless trait in any of the sales managers I had known during my career so I did not expect it to be the number one answer.

 

By the way, I did not get the sales manager job, but I have never forgotten that one question and its wonderful answer. If you forget the context of the question and just think about a world where everyone has a constant, daily desire to see others do well, you will understand why I cannot get it out of my mind. I have learned that if I put others before myself, I will quite unavoidably bring positive energy to everything I do.

 

• Throughout this book, we have explored relationships and why people have trouble getting along with each other. If everyone spent more time thinking about the hopes, needs, and feelings of others, everyone would get along all the time. Gone would be argument, strife, and dissention. Gone would be divorce, bullying, and envy. Life would truly be good if people would just stop being selfish.

 

People with no friends have very little desire to see anyone else doing well. They think only about their own existence. People who lose friends usually lose them because they have stopped caring about their needs, choosing to think only of themselves.

 

Wives and husbands who divorce have stopped caring about each other, instead thinking only about their own needs and wants. Oh and by the way, sales managers who put themselves before their sales people tend not to have their support and ultimately fail to produce good results. If it is obvious that their primary desire is to make themselves successful, their sales people will rebel by doing everything they can to prevent it. The same thing will happen in almost any relationship. Selfish thinking never produces positive results.

 

If you think less about yourself and more about others, your life will be much more rewarding, your stress levels will reduce and you will feel far more satisfied with your place in the world.

You can order my book in paper or Kindle versions here: http://www.amazon.com/Getting-Along-People-EASY-Wayne/dp/1438937237/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1299526409&sr=1-1

 All the Best

Wayne Kehl



"You Never Miss The Water Until The Well Runs Dry"

This old proverb shines a very bright light on the theory that you never know what you have until it is gone. If everything in your life is going well right now, think about the dynamics around you that help to make it great. If your life is challenging at this moment because you have recently lost someone important from it, ask yourself these questions: 

•  Do I take the people around me for granted?  
•  Do I ever acknowledge the great things the people in my life do every day? 
•  Do I ever thank those around me for helping me get through my days? 
•  Do I choose to notice faults and failures but overlook qualities and successes? 
•  How will my life change if I lose certain people from it? 
•  What can I do to reduce the possibility of the people in my life leaving me behind? 

Whether you are a leader, an employee, a spouse, a parent or a friend, you have a lot of people in your life who create and perpetuate your environment as time moves forward. Your experiences with some of those people are positive, some are negative and some go almost unnoticed. No matter what impression or impact they make, all of them contribute to life’s joys and woes in one way or another. Give serious thought to this question: 

•  Would your life be better or worse if the people you associate with now were suddenly gone? 

I would like to offer this simple advice: Hold the positive influences in your life very close and remove all of the negative ones from your environment. 

If you agree with that try to practice the following relationship techniques for the positive people you cherish:

Let the positive people in your life know that they matter.  

•  Compliment them and tell them how much they mean to you.  
•  Tell them how much you care for them on a personal level.  
•  Always speak positively. There is no room for negativity in good relationships. 
•  Practice open, honest communication at all times. 
•  Help and encourage them unselfishly every chance you get. 

Here are some things you might want to practice with the negative people in your life: 

•  Tell them directly and clearly that you do not appreciate negativity. 
•  Let them know that you do not wish to associate with them socially. 
•  Do not involve yourself in their negative conversations. Walk away! 
• Never condone or agree with their negative appraisals of other people. 
•  Do not retaliate against them. Negativity is not the answer to negativity! 
•  Do not allow yourself to be involved in their negative scheming against others. 

You might turn negative people around with what is commonly known as tough love but if you find that your open, honest communication with them only inflames their negativity even more, or that there is clearly no hope, your best option is to end the relationship and save yourself further stress and aggravation. Do not allow yourself to be dragged into a mire of negativity.

Some of the people you might miss when they are gone include your employees, your supervisors, your managers, your friends, your spouses, other family members and even the people who sell you the things you need and want. Those people need special treatment. They need you to express to them how much value and joy they bring into your life.  

Nothing will end a relationship more decisively or permanently than enduring apathy, indifference or a complete lack of acknowledgement by either party. 

Do not allow your well to run dry. Prime the pump daily with acknowledgement, encouragement and kindness for everyone that matters to you! If you do that, you will always have a great wealth of fabulous people in your life and your environment will forever be positive, progressive, and infinitely pleasurable.

All the Best! 
Wayne Kehl

Do you need a speaker for your event, conference or staff meeting? I can do keynotes, seminars and presentations on a variety of positive, motivational subjects. Get in touch with me at "wkehl@dlionline.ca" so that I can bring my passion to your event.  

The Butterfly Effect

The Butterfly Effect is a scientific theory that essentially says that a small change at one place in a complex system can have large effects elsewhere. Originally part of the Chaos Theory, numerous scientists throughout modern history have concluded that this happens even though these systems are deterministic, meaning that their future behavior is fully determined by their initial conditions, with no random elements involved.


In more personal, human terminology, we need to understand that no matter where we are as people today, we arrived at this point as a result of the actions and events that occurred during our lives. Some we are responsible for...some we are not. We are all products of our environment and thus our present and future environment is determined by the how, what, where, when and why we do things and by the things that others people and other environments might do to us. When we choose any particular action, we inadvertently set a series of future events into motion. That is not to say that we have no choice in our destiny, only that everything we have experienced to this point in our lives is responsible for our present condition. “So what?” you might ask.


Do you regret your past? Do you worry about your future? Do you dislike your present situation? You cannot change the past but you can do something about the future. Every time you make a negative statement or do a negative act, you set a chain of events into play that is unstoppable. Negativity is seldom ever forgotten completely by those who witness it. Once you have committed to negativity, be it written, spoken or acted out in a physical way, that negativity will grow and fester, and it will very likely come back to harm you at some time in the future.


Just as negativity can harm you, positivity can help you. Every time you do or say something positive, the constructive value of it will be remembered and it will spread and grow to impact on the environments of others. Ultimately, your positive actions will come back to boost you up in some way and those who were affected positively by them will want to assist you and make your life better. It is a fact that positive energy begets more positive energy and a person who is seen as positive is considered to be of greater value to the human race than someone who is known to be consistently negative.


Whether you are a business leader, an hourly employee, retired or unemployed your actions and your environment got you to where you are today. Once you leave your childhood, family home you are the only person responsible for you. Other than sudden, unexpected events or natural disasters, only your actions and those of the people you choose to associate with will make a difference in your life and your position in the world. Think about that the next time you choose to do something that you know might have negative connotations. Remember it the next time you decide to overlook or condone the negative actions of others. Before you choose to associate with people you know to be of negative character ask yourself if you can avoid or escape from the influence of their negativity. It is up to you to choose which actions you should put into motion in order to create the life you desire.


Don’t regret your past and do not the lament the things you did not do that you might be wishing you had done. It is too late for that. All of the good and bad in your life today came about as a result of the environment you lived in and the things you did in the past. You can change the future by thinking seriously about the things that got you to where you are and then putting different actions into motion from this day forward. The Butterfly Effect can build you up or tear you down. It’s up to you.


All The Best!


Wayne Kehl

Lead By Example

Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbours, and let every New Year find you a better man or woman.

Benjamin Franklin

Oh, if we could all just follow Benjamin Franklin’s advice, what a wonderful world it would be. Why must we all find fault with each other while carrying anger and hatred into the world? Why do so many of us want to see others fail so that we can succeed and why do we defend our lies as if they are truths? Why are human beings so flawed, and why is each one of us so tragically human?

During the Christmas season the world is full of love and goodwill toward all mankind. Almost immediately after that, the New Year comes along and millions of folks make resolutions that most will never comply with. For those two days of the year we practice universal love and make conscious decisions to be better men and women. For the rest of the year, most of us simply go back to being the people we are and have always been with the inevitable consequences...wars rage on, crime rates escalate, court room waiting lists get longer, people die in alcohol related accidents, ordinary people die from substance abuse, others die from lung cancer, strokes,  heart disease and violence, obesity levels grow and we all continue our race to self-induced oblivion. It seems that most of us cannot sustain a conscious effort to be better men and women for more than a couple of days each year.

This year, why not become a leader to everyone in your life? Why not set the example by overcoming your vices, putting aside your anger, adopting an attitude of pure positive thoughts and actions and by making a concerted effort to be a better person?

Can you do it? Can you be the one person who will make a difference? You probably cannot change the world single handedly, but you can make a difference in your environment and you can make improvements in your own life that others will notice. Forget about societal, cultural, employment related, success driven, peer pressure-induced urges and just do what you know is right. Resist the vices that you know are not helping you succeed, always put on a smile for everyone you meet, reach for positive thoughts in every situation and always do your best. Most importantly, make a deliberate effort to be a better person. If you do that, you will never suffer from guilt of any kind and you will be a model for everyone you meet. In some way, large or small, you will be a leader of mankind.

Benjamin Franklin lived from 1706 to 1790 and yet he observed the same human behaviour that we all live with in 2011. Take a page out of his book and be someone who leads others to a better world. It is never too late and it will always be noticed and appreciated.

All The Best!

Wayne Kehl

Christmas All Year Long

I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year."

 ~ Charles Dickens (1812-1870), English author. From 'A Christmas Carol'.

I was quite taken by this quote from Charles Dickens. This line from “A Christmas Carol” reminds us of the fact that for most people, the true spirit of kindness and giving is with us for only one day of each year. As much as we might like to honour the spirit of Christmas throughout the year, it is not long after December 25th that we return to our old habits and vices...we return to being normal, flawed human beings.


People of many lands have chosen Christmas as a reason to be kind, generous, and warm to all others. Large scale wars all over the world will have cease-fires during the Christmas holiday. People who seldom speak take the time to write and send greeting cards to each other. Everywhere you go people of all races, creeds, colours and genders can be heard shouting, “Merry Christmas!” to almost anyone they come into contact with. Despite the commercial implications of it, Christmas genuinely brings peace on earth and goodwill to all men and women. Smiles abound and anger is put on hold for two or three glorious days. Everyone seems to want to impose the best part of mankind on everyone else during the few days surrounding December 25th. How sad it is that we cannot carry those good feelings, thoughts, emotions and actions with us 365 days of every year.


If we could just remember the deep seated, emotions that flood our hearts, souls, and minds on Christmas morning; if we could only treat everyone the way we treated our friends and family during Christmas dinner; if we could just feel that way and treat everyone with that much kindness all year long, the world would be a glorious place indeed.
 
Like Ebenezer Scrooge, try to honour the Christmas spirit all year long. You will be rewarded with the gift of joy and the precious present of a peaceful mind.

 

Merry Christmas to one and all!

 Wayne

Helen Keller Taught Us that Pessimism Is The Enemy Of Ambition And The Killer Of Dreams!

Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.

- Helen Keller

                                                                         Helen Keller



Helen Keller lived from 1880 to 1968...an incredible 88 years. Although she was blind and deaf from childhood, she played a big part in changing our world for the better. She was a university graduate, teacher, lecturer, author, humanitarian, and political activist. Her life was littered with fabulous accomplishments and her group of friends included such luminaries as Mark Twain, Alexander Graham Bell, and Charlie Chaplin. She also met every United States President from Grover Cleveland to Lyndon B. Johnson. She was an amazing person who lived an incredible life despite her disabilities. Most importantly, even with her handicaps she remained optimistic at all times and worked tirelessly to make the world a better place for others. Who among us can compare the difficulties or accomplishments of our lives with those of Helen Keller?

Are you optimistic? If not...why not? We all need to analyze our current situation and our current frame of mind to determine  what direction our innermost thoughts are taking us. It is quite a simple matter to find out if you are optimistic. Ask yourself the following questions: Do I believe in myself? Do I believe that I will be successful in my career? Do I believe that I will reach the goals set by myself and others? Do I believe that every obstacle can be overcome? Do I believe that I am, or can be as good in my chosen career as everyone else I know? Do I believe that with hard work, good things will come to me? If your answer is NO to any of these, you are not very optimistic and you need to adjust your thinking.

Now, ask yourself the following questions: Am I a loser? Am I of lesser value than other people? Have I ever given up on something, only to find out later that someone of equal or lesser skill went ahead on my path and succeeded? Do other people think less of me than of most of my peers? Do I often say to myself or others that I will never learn how to do something or that something cannot possibly be done? Will I be a failure, or at best mediocre, all of my life? If your answer is YES to any of these questions you are extremely pessimistic and you need some serious soul-searching or coaching in order to get back on track. You need to discover the source of your pessimism and then search your psyche for a way to get beyond it.

Pessimism is the enemy of ambition and the killer of dreams. You can only succeed through positive effort and genuine belief in yourself. Optimism will carry you to great heights...but only if you truly believe in yourself and only when you allow success to find you. Never hide from success by putting up a curtain of pessimism around you. Always be open to opportunity and never believe that you cannot succeed. Now is the time to start believing in yourself the way Helen Keller believed in herself. She believed everything was possible and she went about finding ways to prove it. And prove it, she did!

Here is another quote from Helen Keller: “No pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new heaven to the human spirit.” So, the next time you are feeling depressed or dejected because of a setback or a failure, rise above the natural reaction to become pessimistic. Do what Helen Keller did; try a new path, start a new project, put a smile on your face and believe in yourself! Optimism and pessimism are solitary pursuits. Only you can make yourself become optimistic...no one else will do it for you. The satisfaction, self esteem, success and happiness you receive from optimism will more than repay the effort you put into finding it.

Life is for living folks!


All the Best


Wayne Kehl

Think Before You Speak

Wise men talk because they have something to say... fools, because they have to say something.

- Plato

Plato lived from 428 BC to 348 BC and even then, one of the largest human problems that philosophers of the day grappled with was a lack of open, honest communication. Nothing has changed in over two thousand years. People then, as now, have trouble saying what they mean and meaning what they say. People just can’t seem to universally embrace the concept of being impeccable with their words. The phenomenon is a human condition that clearly has eons of history to support it and therefore, one that is very difficult to overcome.

Our old friend, Plato knew a thing or two about people. He is quoted far and wide as a philosopher of great wisdom and insight. The quote above indicates that those of us who are wiser than others will withhold our words until we have something of value to offer to a conversation. We will not speak for the sake of being heard and we will not speak negatively; thereby eliminating the possibility of saying something incorrect or lacking in integrity. On the other hand, a fool will speak incessantly without thinking and without giving any credence to the feelings, hopes, ambitions or desires of others. Fools speak for the sole purpose of dominating a conversation and for the pleasure of hearing their own words. The only people that are impressed by the words of a fool are other fools. They are impressed by verbosity and grandiosity rather than depth, wit, and intelligence. When fools speak, the wise recoil while other fools listen. Just as today, it appears that even in 400 BC there were a lot of fools running around saying foolish things.

In his book, “The Four Agreements,” Don Miguel Ruiz gives some wonderful clues to better human communication. The four agreements that he asks you to make with yourself are these: 1. NEVER MAKE ASSUMPTIONS, 2. DO NOT TAKE THINGS PERSONALLY, 3. ALWAYS BE IMPECCABLE WITH YOUR WORD, AND 4. ALWAYS DO YOUR BEST. They sound quite simple, but think about your own life and ask yourself if you can do all four of them at once.

When you hear words coming out of the mouth of a fool, do you assume that the person speaking is deliberately saying something to harm you or others? Conversely, do you give that person the benefit of the doubt; or do you simply forgive him or her? When you hear negative words spoken in your direction, do you take them personally? Do you assume that the person speaking is trying to harm you or make your life less valuable in some way; or do you simply forgive him or her? When you are speaking, are you always impeccable with your word? More clearly put, do your words and your intonation contain the best intentions? Is what you are saying designed to improve the lives of others or to tear them down in some way? Impeccability may be the hardest agreement to make because we all seem to lapse into sarcasm, deceit or guile from time to time. When we do that, we are playing the fool! Finally, do you always do your best or do you pass off a partial effort or a negative pretence as good enough? When we offer less than our best, we allow others the opportunity to find fault with us, thereby enabling another round of poor communication, sarcasm, deceit, and guile. It is difficult for human beings to avoid playing the fool.

Since reading “The Four Agreements” and taking it to heart, I have become very aware of my own failings as a human communicator. I am aware that I have often made incorrect assumptions and taken things personally that were not directed at me at all. I have not always been impeccable with my word because I often used sarcasm, minor deceit, and guile to win an argument or make a point. Finally, as much as I always want to do my best, I lapse into human slothfulness for one reason or another from time to time and then use deceit and guile to cover up my weakness. I am human and I have played the fool! I am not perfect yet, and I probably never will be, but I believe that self-awareness is the start of a road to a better life.

If you want others to listen to you and follow your lead, always be the best you can be and never play the fool!

All the Best

Wayne Kehl

Are You Willing To Risk Your Life?

On Remembrance Day and Veteran’s Day it is important for us all to reflect on the sacrifice and devotion to duty shown by so many of our brave men and women all over the world. But, what does the observation of past and present wars mean to you?

November 11th is not about poppies, wreaths or cenotaphs. Those are only symbols to remind us of our brave military men and women. What November 11 is really about is courage and raw, unshakeable allegiance to a country. Veterans of all wars offered something that most of us have never and will never have to consider as an option. They offered their lives. They offered their countries the right to use them as corporeal weapons of war. When they made that offer to their Governments, they knew full well that they might never return from whatever theatre of war they would ultimately enter. They knew the enemy forces they would encounter would show them no mercy and that they too might have to make the definitive, irrevocable decision to end another person’s life.

Because it is neither natural or normal for human beings to deliberately end the lives of other human beings, our Veterans made another sacrifice. They put their integrity, their morals, and their spirituality on the line along with their bodies. They chose to overlook their natural predisposition to saving the lives of others in favour of protecting their fellow countryman from enemy forces. As much as killing did not come easily to them, they did it for the love of their homeland and the people back home they so desperately wanted to protect. Most importantly, they did these incredible things while asking nothing in return.

Members of all branches of the military were (and still are) asked to fight in unbelievably unpleasant and dangerous conditions, thousands of miles from their homes and families. They ate bad food and were paid very little for doing the most dangerous and important jobs on earth. And yet they fought selflessly until the war was over. Each time a war began, our Veterans finished it. Some came home...some did not. Some came back unharmed...others came back broken, torn, shell-shocked, and emotionally distressed. All had offered up the ultimate price...their personal right to life.

“Lest We Forget” has two meanings for me. Firstly, we the non-Veterans of the world must never forget the sacrifices our Veterans made for us. Secondly, we must all accept that our veterans will never forget what they were forced to do in service of their country. Veterans never forget the places they fought, the weapons they fired, or the enemy soldiers they killed and wounded. How could they? No human being could possibly forget the horrors of combat. Our Veterans gave all they had physically, intellectually, emotionally and spiritually.

Wars are started by politicians but they are fought by fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, friends and family members. We must always remember that our fighting men and women must be honoured for their service and that honour must never be tarnished by politics or protest. Veterans are heroes who do their duty at their own behest and for the most excellent of reasons. They are the best part of war and the best part of our humanity.

My Dad fought in World War II and still carries a piece of German Shrapnel in his back to this very day. He is 87 years old now and he has never forgotten his service to his country. In fact he speaks of the war years with more clarity than perhaps anything else in his life. Unlike my father, I have never had to offer my life for virtually anything. Because my Dad and millions of other Veterans fought for my freedom I have lived a very comfortable and secure life. At age 59, I find myself wondering what I would do if I was in their position and what my life would have been like if I was forced to experience what my Dad experienced. I offer my heartfelt gratitude to my Dad and to every other man and woman who ever risked his or her life for their country. They represent the best of us.

Are you willing to risk your life?

LEST WE FORGET

Wayne Kehl

You only have one life to live!

“Good Times; Bad Times; You know I had my share...”

Led Zeppelin 1968

The above line from Led Zeppelin was written by the famous rockers 42 years ago and yet, it still has meaning today. I am a fan of Led Zeppelin partly because of my age and my love of screaming guitars, but chiefly because of the depth of wisdom contained in many of their lyrics. Think about the line again, “Good Times; Bad Times; You know I had my share.” Who can say otherwise? Who can say that every day of their life contained nothing but joy, achievement and love, all wrapped up in one big package of goodness. Of course, no one can say that because everyone experiences some darkness in their life from time to time. It is how we deal with the bad times that matters.

If you want success, you must always look forward and you must live your life as though the bad times have very little meaning for you. Set-backs are not permanent road blocks...they are merely reminders that nothing in life comes easily and that every worthwhile endeavour contains an element of risk with no shortage of obstacles. If you anticipate challenges before they occur, your path will be much easier to follow. When faced with a stumbling block, go ahead and stumble or even fall...and then get up, dust yourself off and try again. Sometimes you must adjust your method of approach, but if you constantly keep the end goal in mind, your path will be true and your success will be assured.

People who face obstacles as complete barriers to success will almost always fail. Their lack of determination and courage will hold them back interminably. Projects will never be done well (or done at all) and sadly, those people who dwell on bad times will never be happy. Great leaders and successful people in all areas of human endeavour focus on the good times. They focus on the fact that a positive attitude coupled with a big dose of endurance, patience and persistence will carry them to great heights. They know too, that the world is watching. The world loves people who persevere; the world loves people with chutzpah and the world loves people who move past the bad times as if they never occurred.

In the Led Zeppelin song, lead singer, Robert Plant’s voice trails off into a searing, Jimmy Page guitar riff as he sings, “Well, I still don’t seem to care...” The lyrics of this song are, (perhaps inadvertently) an anthem for leadership. They represent the best of what great leaders carry with them every day. Leaders do not care about bad times, they do not dwell on minor failures, they do not complain about setbacks, and they do not blame others for their own limitations or failings. Real leaders smile at setbacks and laugh out loud as they sail over hurdles. For them all times are good...bad times are only for those who accept and embrace failure or adversity as an excuse or a reason to quit.

The next time you are ready to quit because the challenges seem too great, think about the words to this great rock and roll song and remember that the good times in your life always outnumber the bad.

Life is for living and with good health a life is a century or so of good times to be had. You only have one life to live, so why not make it a good one?

All the Best

Wayne Kehl

Anger is a killer but happiness can save your life!

Something I have been saying most of my adult life is, “Anger is wasted energy.” As much as that is true, it is only part of the story. Anger can actually bring on poor health and shortened life spans. We all know that anger can bring on lengthy bouts of distress and strained relationships with those closest to us; and I think we would all agree that the feeling of being out of control that often accompanies anger is almost always regretted after the fact. Yet, despite our universal understanding of the futility of anger, most of us still allow it to consume us from time to time.

Your response to anger might be in the form of simple, curt aggressiveness, passive aggressiveness, or white hot, searing hostility. No matter which form you choose, unless the encounter erupts into violence, your anger will almost always do more harm to you than to the object of your anger. Your anger will stay in your mind and become a festering lesion of stress and anxiety that can take weeks or months to heal. While you are fighting your internal demons, the person you are angry with will probably be out and about enjoying life, oblivious to your concerns. At that point, it is only you that will be suffering from the cause of your anger.

On the physical side, people who are often angry may not produce adequate amounts of acetylcholine; the chemical that tempers the effects of the adrenaline produced during bouts of anger. Because their nervous system is working overtime, their constant anger can be the cause of a weakened heart and hardened arteries. They may also suffer from liver and kidney damage as well as heightened cholesterol levels. In fact, studies have shown that individuals with high anger levels have twice the risk of heart disease and three times the risk of heart attack when compared to folks with the lowest anger levels.

Anger management is one aid to better health, but it only has value if handled properly. Unfortunately, one common method of controlling anger is to keep it bottled up while turning it inward. That method is usually referred to as depression, which is potentially as dangerous as anger itself. The key to anger management is balance...lashing out at everything that annoys you is not good, but dealing with the issues that make you angry at or near the time of your angry reaction is an effective method of controlling anger. If another person makes you angry, you must communicate with them. Let them know that you are angry and tell them why. Speak calmly and always be controlled and reasonable. Listen to their point of view and accept that they have a different perspective. By doing this, you will force yourself and the other person to deal with the source of your vexation. It may not always result in an end to the problem, but it will dramatically reduce your stress level and diminish your anger to something more akin to a difference of opinion or simple confusion...which is much less likely to produce negative physical side-effects.

Science also shows us that anger can be controlled through exercise, meditation, humour, or some other diversion that will move our minds to more pleasing thoughts. Once we have moved to another place mentally, the source of our anger will not seem as daunting or offensive when our thoughts return to it again.

Essentially anger is a human response to an external stimulus that can be controlled by our minds. Make the decision now to think deeply about your anger and work toward a life with as little of it as possible. Your body will thank you!

On the happiness front, I am pleased to report that people with high levels of happiness tend to catch colds and influenza less often and present less significant symptoms, (than angry or depressed people) when they do get sick. Happy people generally have lower levels of stress hormones in their blood stream and lower blood pressure. Interestingly, recent studies have shown that listening to pleasing music can improve blood vessel and heart health...probably because it releases relaxing endorphins into the blood stream.

To end this on a very happy note, I must mention the value of laughter...the ultimate expression of happiness. Laughter lowers blood pressure by causing deeper breathing and increased oxygenation to the blood stream. Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases infection-fighting antibodies. Laughter is good for your heart because it increases heart rate and pulse. It works out your diaphragm, abdominal muscles, respiratory system, and back muscles. A good laugh can improve digestion and burn calories. Because it stimulates the left side of the brain, laughter can enable easier learning and better information retention while increasing alertness. In short, happiness can lead to a longer healthier life.

Anger or happiness...the choice is obvious!

All the Best!

Wayne Kehl

Learn more about relationships in my book, "Getting Along With People Is Easy!" available at all online booksellers.

Success through people...Surviving beyond a down economy

Current worldwide economic woes are extremely worrying for a lot of business people...and with good cause. We have seen the demise of a number of major financial institutions and extreme downsizing at a myriad of North American Corporations. Small businesses are dropping like flies on a daily basis. Despite the old adage desperate times call for desperate measures, during this downward spike in our economy we must maintain one major principle: We must preserve a culture of pride, quality and performance amongst our employees. Our people will take us through this current recession and support us while we are down...IF, AND ONLY IF we give them strong reasons for loyalty to us.

Keep in mind that even if your business survives the recession and prosperity returns within a reasonable time frame, it will be followed almost immediately by a worldwide labour shortage. The shortage will be at its worst here in North America where overall birth rates are the lowest. If you plan to continue on in business for the next decade and beyond, you must cultivate the loyalties of your employees by creating a culture of success NOW. Economists indicate that immigration application rates to the USA and Canada are at an all time high, but remember that immigrants require a greater level of training and naturalization than the employees you have now. You might be able to fill the vacancies in your employee manifest with folks from other countries, but if you lose the knowledge base of your current employees, your production will suffer for an indeterminate length of time.

If you are an employee, be aware that the current recession like every other economic crisis, will pass. When that occurs, the best of you will be living in a world of opportunity. Hone your skills now, learn your trade, increase your knowledge and populate your resume’. This is valuable advice whether you expect to leave your current employer at some point in the future or not. The future world will need educated, qualified people with experience and some degree of wisdom. Remember too, that in the future there will also be a shortage of good leaders; people who understand people and possess the ability to get the most out of each and every one of them. If you ever thought that you would like to try leadership, now is the time to start working toward that goal. Take some courses; make your employer aware of your desire to advance; become indispensable!

Employers need to accept the fact that the world is changing. The old ways of doing business will simply not work in the twenty first century. Generation “Y” will not bend to the demands of a dominant boss or an inflexible corporate structure. Many immigrants will not understand your methodologies, your work ethic, or in many cases, your language. Both groups will need a different work environment than that which you developed over the past decades. Business owners and leaders need to begin working for the future NOW. If you really do not understand your younger, Generation “Y” workers, YOU are the problem...not the young workers. You need to stop trying to make them more like you and you need to adopt methodologies they can identify with. Let’s face it, Generation “Y” is the largest generation since the Boomers and they will soon take over the world. There are fewer Boomers in the work-world every day and their grip on the throttle of the world’s economy is beginning to slip. Only those employers who recognize this undeniable truth and are willing to act on it will survive beyond the recession, thereby remaining household names decades from now.

If you don’t understand how to motivate your employees, create loyalty or build a culture of engagement, you need to learn now. If your production is slipping; if your performance is suffering; and/or if your profits are down, you need to learn how to do more with less. I am talking about more production with fewer resources and even fewer employees. The key to more with less is with your current employees. Become an open, honest employer with a transparent management plan. Let your people in on what you are doing, where you are going, and where you stand right now. More than ever in the history of North American business, employees want inclusion and a say in how their workplace runs. Give it to them! Stop hanging on to the old ways of doing business and start giving your employees what they want, no matter how difficult letting go of your old principles might be.

Most business leaders who refuse to let their employees in on things are simply afraid. They are afraid that their employees will take advantage of them, use the things they have learned against them, or even steal from them. Nothing could be further from the truth. Employees are just like people in management...they want to keep score and they want to win. If they do not know where the company is going or what their contribution to it has been, they have no stake in the business and no reason to care about it. Ultimately employees who are not made aware of what their company is all about will either quit or mentally shut down. Either way, production and quality will suffer.

In times when there are more employees than jobs, employers have the luxury of high turnover rates. In the future when the economy stabilizes and there are more jobs than people, that luxury will be the death of many companies. Start working with your people now. They can either make you or break you. It’s your choice!

If you need help putting employee leadership, engagement, communication, or selection plans into place please get in touch with me. I am easy to find and I want to help.

All the Best!

Wayne Kehl

A Big Ego is a Terrible Thing to Waste!

   Why can’t people just get along? Human beings seem to want to fight all the time, don’t they? Why is that? What makes people so quick to involve themselves in arguments and disputes? Why do so many people become angry or defensive when someone directs a joke at them or suggests that they might be wrong about something? Why are some people arrogant, loud and obnoxious while others are consistently nice or perennially silent? Will the entire human race ever change to the point that they can all get along unconditionally on a universal level? Probably not...but it is a great goal to shoot for!

   Human beings regularly fight, dispute, argue, confront, protest, challenge and defy other people because of EGO. All human beings have an ego of some degree or another. Ego can be defined as one’s relative level of self esteem...it is a person’s idea of his or her own importance or worth. Ego determines how a person will control, plan and conform to the present reality of his or her life. If a person has a big ego, they will often become quite angry if they believe their integrity has been questioned. They will have such a strong sense of themselves that they will believe others should listen to them and unconditionally respond to them in a positive way. Those with less powerful egos when questioned or treated negatively will sometimes feel guilty. They will think that they have said or done something inappropriate. Instead of fighting back, they will withdraw to lick their wounds or feel sorry for themselves. Individuals with very little ego often find it easier to get along with others because they simply draw no assumptions about another’s intentions toward them and they take nothing personally, so find no need to become angry or fight back.

   Leaders must be cautious of stifling ego. Ego is what made human beings the dominant species on earth and what caused them to put men on the moon. Unfortunately, it is also what starts arguments, causes bullying in schoolyards, and creates the conditions necessary for one country to declare war on another. The positive side of ego is what we must nurture and protect. People with strong egos usually have strong ambition and an overwhelming desire to succeed. They also sometimes seem brash, impatient, and in a hurry; caring very little for others. Those are the people that can make or break you. When working with someone who is extremely talented but “full of himself or herself” you must not suppress his or her enthusiasm or hold them back. When a person with a strong ego is stifled they will usually react with negative behavior. They may choose to fight you, making their feelings known, but as often as not, they will simply withdraw and do as little as possible to help you. Instead of being the superior performer they are capable of, their ego will tell them to withhold their talent in order to punish you and prevent you from realizing the success they know they are capable of creating.

   People with strong egos like a pat on the back. They need to be acknowledged for their good work. The feeling of satisfaction they derive from praise is like a drug to them...the more they get...the more they want. The more praise they receive, the more likely it is that they will perform at exponentially higher levels. However, if people with big egos are ignored or criticized for their work, they will no longer derive a sense of satisfaction from their work and performance will probably decrease in quality and quantity.

   If you find the ego of any of your workers offensive to others to the point that performance and production is suffering, you must deal with them. As many coaches and philosophers have indicated, “There is no 'I' in team” and “Stars are just people who play on great teams.” When working with big egos you have to be a coach. You must always explain to a star performer that their results are clearly superior but that they cannot go it alone. They must understand that it is their obligation to assist everyone else on the team to perform at as high a level as they can. You must appeal to their ego by asking for their help and then praising them when their teamwork efforts have realized positive results. They will understand your meaning because a powerful ego is not an obstruction to intelligence. It is merely a different sense of reality that puts one person ahead of another in his or her own mind. If they comply with your wishes and create better results for the entire team, their egos will soar on a blanket of pride and they will want to do even more of it.

   Great leaders do not allow a big ego to stand in the way of success. They take advantage of it by massaging and cultivating it into an indomitable force while allowing it to blend into the fabric of the team. Don’t waste a big ego...put it to work for you!

All the Best!



Wayne Kehl

Passionate Choices!

We all need passion in our lives!

As we wander through the short period of time that is our life, we make hundreds of thousands, or perhaps even millions of choices. We make so many choices in a lifetime that at the time just before our passing, we have forgotten all but the most significant of them. We remember our choice to marry and to whom; we remember our first job and what lead us to it; we remember our first drink of alcohol; we might forget our third lover and our second lover but we will always remember our first and last. The majority of our choices simply evaporate into invisible vapor like the morning dew.

The choices that are not easy to make are the most significant of all. Those choices are also the most difficult to reverse and the most heartbreaking when we recall them at the end of our lives. The hardest choices always involve our greatest inner passions. When we fail to follow our heart and pursue our true passion we create unrelenting regret and self-doubt. In time, one passion may be replaced with another, but we will always recall the passions we left behind and make excuses for our decisions not to pursue them.

We all have a personal vision that we dream of. That vision may change occasionally as the years pass, but as we drive down a highway or lay in bed sleeplessly at night, we are often consumed by our personal vision. We see ourselves as singers, musicians, policemen, fishermen, writers, millionaires, or kings. In our vision, we can be beautiful, handsome, sophisticated and bold. We imagine trysts with beautiful women or handsome strangers we meet in passing; we imagine ourselves achieving an award for great work we did on our latest work project or as the coach of our children’s volleyball team. We envision ourselves winning a lottery or inventing something great. We might use our imaginary fortune to purchase a huge house in any country we choose, with a view of any vista we wish to see. Our personal vision is always better than the life we live because until we reach the age when we are mature enough to understand that we have reached our maximum potential, we want what we do not have. That is the nature of mankind and it is what created the world as we now know it. Many of the personal visions of the millions of people before us have become reality. If none of our forefathers had pursued their personal visions we might still be living in caves.

Human beings are humble, yet vain creatures. Despite the natural tendency of most people to avoid being significant above all others, we all need to be accepted and acknowledged from time to time. We need to be patted on the back and told that we are good, or even that we are the best at something. A desire for acknowledgement consumes some people to the point that they make themselves universally disliked. Their overwhelming positive feelings for themselves often create negative feelings in others. And yet, there are people who are so afraid of attention from others that they live a life of misery…frightened that they may be singled out for praise, all the while yearning for it more than life itself. Both types of people need positive reinforcement and both need to be acknowledged and loved.

Bears, spiders, birds and fish feel neither arrogance nor greed; neither pride nor hate; neither embarrassment nor disgrace. Only humans have emotions that are stimulated by communication with others of their own kind. Only humans can make a serious impact positively or negatively on members of their flock with a look or a sigh. Only humans can make one of their kind a success or a failure with just the will of a quorum. An alpha-male wolf must enter into physical combat with all comers in order to rule the pack. There is positive energy in the fight but fortunately that model will not work for civilized human beings. Thanks to our intellect, we are able to find other ways to create positive results, without violence. We have the ability to move beyond instinct and use reason in order to transform palpable negativity into a positive result. Positive passion is what separates animals from human beings.

Always remember that as you follow your personal vision, another is following his and it is probably dramatically different from yours. Just as you cherish your vision, his vision must also be allowed to live. Everyone’s personal vision is different and you must not try to force yours on someone else. Never allow the negativity of anyone, no matter how important they might seem, destroy your dream or pull you from the path you have chosen. Never attempt to dissuade others from their own personal visions as you will risk breaking their spirits or losing them altogether.

You cannot be passionate about something for which you feel no passion. You will never be truly successful with a mate you do not love and you will never be successful in a job you do not like. You will never achieve satisfaction with pure negative energy and you will not motivate others with constant negative reinforcement. If you think positively and exude positive energy while passionately following your personal vision, you will succeed beyond your wildest dreams and achieve happiness beyond your imagination.

In my personal vision, I see myself as a writer; an author of books on leadership. I have pure positive passion for my vision and while you are reading my book you are helping me reach my goal. My vision has materialized and I thank you for that.

I hope when you find your own personal vision, you will follow it relentlessly. Chase it like your life depends on it. You will never regret that choice.

All the Best!
Wayne Kehl

This article is the "Afterword" in my book, "A Passion For Leadership" which is available on Amazon.com in book form and soon to be available in Kindle Format.

My last 9,000 days!

This is the foreword to my book, "Getting Along With People Is EASY!"

As I kneeled to thin out the dead stalks in the rose bushes near my back gate today, I felt a twinge in my back. As I stood up to shake off the twinge, I felt a pain in my right thigh and stiffness in both knees. At that moment, I mumbled silently to myself, “Is this what life is all about?” I realized at that moment that I was feeling my age and things that seemed easy to me in my youth would slowly but surely become more difficult with the passing years. Eventually, one by one, things that I have until now taken for granted, will become impossible. The aging process will progress resolutely until the day of my ultimate passing from this wonderful life. Loss of youth is frustrating but not nearly as daunting as the final curtain and the realization that when my life-light goes out, all that will survive are the memories others have of me. Since I can’t hold the curtain back forever, I want those memories to be predominantly pleasurable for those who outlive me.

If I live to the age of eighty, I will have lived slightly more than twenty nine thousand days. At this moment, still assuming I will live until I am eighty, I have approximately nine thousand days left. It is at this point in one’s life that almost involuntarily, a grand reassessment begins. I know what I have done so far in my life and I know which bits of it added value to others, and to myself. I am aware of the good that I have done and I am grudgingly conscious of the bad. In this last third of my earthly existence, I wonder what my future purpose is. What shall I do? Should I become a recluse and hide from all of the problems of the people who annoy me? Shall I spend the balance of my earthly sentence thinning roses and mowing the lawn, oblivious to the world outside…or, alternatively, should I become a supporter of causes that help other people while working tirelessly to make the world a better place? All have their benefits and all appeal to me in their own unique ways. The wonderful glory of these options is that I have choices. I can do whatever I want. That is the beauty of being human and living free.

One choice I have made is to awake on every one of my last nine thousand mornings with a smile on my face. Every day I have had until now has been a privilege and every day I have from this day forward will be a precious gift. I have come to the irrefutable conclusion that I cannot keep my smile alive without the help of other people. If the folks in the world who are going to join me in my last nine thousand days do not share my dream of daily happiness, I will fail. When you have only nine thousand days to live, you tend to want to make the best of them. With that in mind, I intend to make sure the other folks on my nine thousand day odyssey, only see the best of me. If I get along with them, they will want me to be happy. If they enjoy my presence, they will do everything they can to make me smile. If I make their lives as pleasurable as I possibly can, they will reward me with kindness. In short, selfishly I intend to get along with everyone I meet. It will take a modicum of extra effort, but it will be worth it. The alternative is not getting along with other people, but that surely will not bring a smile to my face…or theirs.

Life is all about options and choices. I choose a life of fulfillment and joy. I choose getting along with people… I choose happiness! You can too!

Wayne Kehl

Hey folks! I succumbed to the powers of the internet and published my book, "Getting Along With People is Easy!" on Kindle. You can get the e-book edition here for $5.99. And remember you don't need a Kindle reader to read a Kindle book. You can easily download an app for free that will allow you to read it on on your laptop, PC, Ipad, Iphone or what have you. All the best! Wayne

http://www.amazon.com/Getting-Along-People-EASY-ebook/dp/B003ZDP1BM/ref=sr_1_cc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1281993779&sr=1-1-catcorr:)