Have you ever heard someone say, “I love my work, but I can’t stand the people I work with”? Without a doubt people are difficult to deal with. Some people complain, other criticize. Trusted friends can betray you. Family members can leave you out of the loop. Authority figures can snub you. What’s your response? Here are five ways to get along with the people in our lives.
Be thankful.
Be grateful for the people in your life. They are placed there to make you a better person. Two of the most important words you can say to another person are: Thank you. Thankfulness is an exquisite form of courtesy. People who enjoy the companionship of good close friends are quick to thank their friends for their many expressions of kindness. When we begin to thank the people in our lives for their contributions, assistance, and presence it does a profound work in them and in us. Take a moment to express heartfelt gratitude for (and to) the people in your life now.
Be a team player.
Your family, work, or church is comprised of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, performance goals, and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable. They are a team. The motivational poster defines team with an acrostic: Together everyone accomplishes more. Three of the most uplifting words you can say to another person is: I’m with you. If you want to enjoy the people in your life, get along side of them in an important venture, whether it’s raising a family, achieving a goal, supporting a cause, or growing a business.
Be patient.
People are in process. They have not arrived, but they were becoming. Be patient with people. They are at various stages along the developmental highway. Popular several years ago were buttons that had the letters “PBPGINFWMY.” The letters stood for “Please Be Patient God Is Not Finished With Me Yet.” We would be wise to follow that directive with the people in our lives. Four of the most meaningful words you can to another is: I believe in you. The people in our lives are not perfect. They are not all they want to be. We can do much to encourage and affirm them. It helps to remember not just how far they have to go, but how far in which they have come. They are not where they want to be, but neither are they where they used to be. God isn’t finished with you, nor the people in your life. As he is patient with you, you be patient with them.
Be affectionate.
If people aren’t on our hearts, they’re on our nerves. Meaning, if we don’t have our children, our spouse, our teammates, or our coworkers on our hearts, they get on our nerves. Three of the most cherished words you can say to another human being are: I love you. When we love from the heart it changes the people in our lives and it changes us. Love is not a syrupy emotionalism, but a strong desire that hopes and works for the best for the other person. When you truly love someone, you will seek their best interest.
Be prayerful.
Pray for the people in your life. This will accomplish two objectives: change your attitude toward them and change you. We pray not just for what it does for others, but for what it does to us. Positive praying is much more powerful than positive thinking. People may resist our advice, spurn our appeals, reject our suggestions, not listen to our help; but they are powerless against our prayers. Four of the most meaningful words you can say to another person is: I’m praying for you. One of the most expressive ways we can communicate how much we cherish another person is to pray for them.
Put these five suggestions into practice and see what difference it will make in you as you relate to the people in your life.
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