SEE PEOPLE

PRINCIPLES OF SUCCESS Series 18

SEE PEOPLE

Success is people-dependent. Your success in life is attached to people, not to things. Somebody said, “People are meant to be loved and things are meant to be used. We have problems in the world because things are being loved and people are being used.” All said and done, people are the channels through which we connect to abundance.

See people. Don’t shun them. As you go about life, what do you see? It seems to me that it’s easier to see things than to see people. We even see things people put on more readily than we see the people. When you get to a new environment, what catches your attention more quickly – the things or the people?

See people and see through them. See beyond their physical appearance; see into them. See their feelings. See their problems, worries, pains and challenges. See their struggles, needs, desires and expectations.

Don’t see people and overlook them. Pay attention to people. Listen to them. Listen with genuine interest. Be genuinely interested in people. Talk to people as human beings. Respect people. Approach them courteously. Praise their strengths and ignore their weaknesses. Affirm them. Strengthen them with gracious words, encouraging words, educative words, enriching words.

Show people you care. Somebody said, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” There’s no better way to have access to people’s life, you must convince them that you care about them. But you must be genuinely interested in their wellbeing before you can truly care for them. Superficial interest in people will not impact them. Fake interest in people will soon fade and people will see what you’ve been hiding.

Compassion is a manifestation of genuine interest in people. You cannot care about people and keep it to yourself. Compassion is mercy in action. It is not a feeling of pity. It is a show of mercy. If you have compassion on people there will be connection and communication between you. Communication is sharing of meaning. When you care about people’s well being you share part of your life with them. You cannot care and not share. Sharing is practical manifestation of deep-seated care. Communication is sharing of oneself for the benefit of others.

Genuine care for people is in the character. If it’s not in your character you cannot successfully fake it. You may tell people you care when you don’t really care about them. But you cannot do that all the time.

You can develop deep-seated interest and care for people. You can develop any virtue by cultivating them. Begin by desiring it. Clear the ground of your heart of values that are contrary to what you want. You have to clear your mind of unkindness, animosity, impatience and selfishness.

Learn to be compassionate by deliberately doing acts of kindness everyday. Say a kind word. Express concern when someone is hurt. Tell someone you care about them. Use ‘please’ and ‘thank you‘ generously. Do an act of love. Share what you’ve got – share knowledge, skills and material possessions. Keep promises. Lend a helping hand. Make a phone call to great someone far away. Visit people just to see how they’re faring.