Seven Benefits of a Smile
My daughter, Megan, was eighteen months old when she decided to test her smile on an angry looking biker. Just before a vacation in Jackson, Wyoming, she had learned what a fun response she could get from adults when she beamed a big smile and gave them an enthusiastic, “Hi!” Whether we were sitting in […]
How to Lose an Airline Seat … and Win a Friend at the IRS
It’s never smart to offend someone who has discretionary authority over your life. Such as the ticket agent I watched as she juggled an overbooked flight. She was waiting for two couples who had confirmed seats but had not yet appeared at the gate. I was on standby and would not make the flight if […]
Five Ways to Bless Your Mother This Sunday
This Sunday is Mother’s Day. If you’re tired of doing the same “card and gift” routine, allow me to suggest something that will blow your mother (or your wife) away … something she will remember with glad tears for the rest of her life. Since she devoted much of her life to serving you and […]
The Most Compelling Kind of Influence
In 1997, Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt won Academy Awards for Best Actor and Actress for their roles in the romantic comedy, As Good As it Gets.* Throughout the movie, Helen Hunt demonstrates one of the most powerful ways to influence others. Before I describe her simple strategy (which you can use in your family, […]
Round Four with Cancer … and It’s Still All About Relationship
The last thing you want to hear from your doctor after three battles with cancer is, “I’ve got some bad news for you.” But if those words arrive just two days before Christmas, as they did for me in 2020, it’s actually a lot easier to put them in an eternal context. The Savior we […]
Can You Read Faces?
Many years ago a trial attorney read a distressed look in my eyes and responded in a way that changed the course of my life. The ability to read the emotions in others’ faces and eyes is incredibly valuable in every part of daily life. If you keep reading, you’ll learn how you can access […]
Serving a Barista
She was working the early shift at a small Starbucks counter in Dulles Airport. The young barista had probably been up since 4 or 5 a.m., and she already looked worn out. After placing my order with the cashier I stood by the counter while the barista finished the coffee ordered just before me. Even […]
Getting Wind Under Your Wings
After weeks of nonstop travel, I was running out of energy. As a result I was unusually apathetic as I walked into the conference center for one of my recent presentations. Not a good attitude for teaching relational wisdom. So I began to pray. “Lord, I feel lousy this morning. I’m tired, discouraged and in […]
The Power of Words
Do you want to learn how to connect with people? Really connect? To touch others heart-to-heart, life-to-life? To convince them you understand and care about them? To move them toward actions that are right and good and pleasing to God? Then learn how to connect with their hearts by describing experiences that trigger godly emotions. […]
Five Ways to Weave RW into Your Life
One of the most popular features of our training program is that we summarize all of our key principles in simple acrostics that can be easily memorized and applied in every day life. Here is a report from a man on how these concepts helped him to respond constructively to a frustrating spouse, a challenging […]