Your Need To Know

Most people would acknowledge the fact that the people we spend time around have an affect on us. We are affected both positively and negatively. Children are affected by their parents, parents are affected by their children, spouses by each other, and siblings by each other. Our friends, neighbors, and people we work with, also affect us.

Sometimes, we have no control over who we spend time with – like the people we work with and family members. Other times, we have complete control over who we spend time with, such as our friends, people we talk to on the telephone, and people we invite into our homes.

Your time is one of your most important and precious assets. So doesn’t it make sense to make wise choices about who we spend our precious time with? Do you spend time with people who are good for you and having a positive affect on your life, or do you choose your company with out giving this much thought? Are you surprised by your honest answer to this question?

Think, for a minute about the people with whom you spend your time. Maybe you don’t know why you are friends with some people. Have you ever thought about what affect they are having on you?

I would like to encourage you to take an honest look at how you feel when you are with someone. Is this person helping you to grow? Is this a person you admire and respect? Do you share similar values? Do you feel good after you have spent your time with them?

I’m certainly not suggesting that you break off any friendships, and I’m not suggesting old friendships based on history or even obligation are wrong. I’m merely suggesting you might want to consider spending less time with people who are not having a positive impact on your life. If you do this, you may realize there are some people you would rather not spend so much time with.

This has absolutely nothing to do with making judgments about these people, and it doesn’t mean that you don’t respect them or think they are good people. It doesn’t mean you think that you are any better than they are. It just means that if you don’t feel good when you are with them, or you don’t feel this person is contributing positively to your life, free up some of that time to meet other people or spend more time alone.

I know I have met many people in my life that I really like for one reason or another, but I would rather not spend much time with them. I also have lifelong friends with whom I no longer share the closeness and compatibility we once had. We have grown apart, as many people do, and gone in different directions in our lives. I suppose that most of these people probably feel the same about me.

I acknowledge the fact that I am affected by the people around me. We emulate those who we are most closely associated. I am a believer in the psychological theory that you become like those you associate with most of the time. If you want to be good at golf, then hang around with people who are good golfers. If you want to have money, hang around with people who you want to emulate with money.

He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm. Proverbs 13:20 NIV

We only have a certain amount of time to spend with other people, so it’s up to us to make the best choices we can. The people you choose to spend time with can have a lot of influence on your attitude and overall state of well being. Choose the company you keep wisely. Your life will be less stressful and more fulfilling.

Gina

Technorati Tags:Self-improvement, Self-help, Personal Development

I came across an interesting video today by Michael Losier. He is the author of “Law of Attraction: The Secret to Attracting More of What You Want and Less of What You Don’t.”

Michael talks a lot about “vibes” and the last thing he says on this video “You don’t always get what you want, but you always get what you vibrate.” I am thinking: “This is so true!” I will certainly add this one as a “quote of the day.”

Law of Attraction - Michael Losier (Making the Secret Work)

While I have not (yet) read the book, the video is very good and I think it would make interesting and enlightening reading. If you have read Law of Attraction: How to Get More of What You Want and Less of What You Don’t, leave a comment and rate the book. Let us know your opinion.

If you are going to buy this book, as I am, please consider purchasing it from my site through Amazon. I will receive a small commission to help support this site, but your price will not be affected. Thank you,

Gina

Technorati Tags: Michael Losier, Law of Attraction

I did what you told me…

I sent the e-mail to 10 people like you said….

I’m still waiting for this miracle to happen!

To all my friends who in the last year sent me best wishes, chain letters, angel letters or other promises of good luck if I forwarded something…. That CRAP didn’t work!

This year could you just send money, vodka, or gas vouchers please.

Which brings me to the subject of this post:

E-Mail Etiquette

The slightly humorous photo and caption above represents an e-mail I recently received from a friend. Now, I appreciate a good joke and a good laugh as much as the next person. As a matter of fact, I have written about the benefits of having some humor in your life every day. And I certainly believe in regular communication with our friends. But sometimes there is just too much ‘crap’ in our in-box. I didn’t mind receiving this e-mail, nor was I offended by it. But since I was already workiing on an article about e-mail etiquette, I thought I would include it.

Here is a brief ‘E-Mail Etiquette Guide’

• Don’t forward ‘chain letter’ e-mails. They are annoying and they take up space. Although they seem to be a fact of life, the internet is glutted with them. They attempt to play on the wishes and fears of the recipients (with good fortune, money, etc.) and many succeed.
• Don’t send unsolicited e-mails. We all get tons of “spam” e-mails these days. Most of them are from people we don’t know. But receiving too many e-mails from friends and family might be annoying. You might cause them to ignore any e-mail from you. It’s a good idea to ask before sending jokes, links, or other unsolicited e-mail to friends. You will probably find some will say “no.”
• Don’t YELL. Don’t write IN ALL CAPS. It’s not nice to shout and it takes longer to read an e-mail written this way.
• Don’t leave the subject line blank. This is more important to many peole than you might imagine. It could also be cause for your e-mail not being read. When we are cruising through the junk in our in-box, we are looking at the subject as much as who sent it. Use a “relevant” subject title that is pertinent to the message.
• Don’t overpuntuate. Six exclamation marks are not necessary to get your point across!!!!!! Use emphasis when necessary, just don’t overdo it.
• Don’t overlook grammar and spelling. Turn on the spell checker. Poor grammar and spelling (and typo’s) can be a bad reflection on you. This is especially important when sending business e-mail.

While there are many more Do’s and Don’ts, these are the basics of e-mail etiquette. These things are even more important when using business e-mail or sending correspondance from your workplace. Just remember:

You are communicatng with another person. Be nice. Be courteous. Realize the other person may not have the same feelings or etiquette toward e-mail as you. E-mail is a great thing. Keep it great.

Gina