“Wherever I go, there I am.”
Aristotle got first credit for that quote and millions have uttered it since. And while the charm of the sentence is found in its clever simplicity, the meaning is all too often internalized with the wrong results.
Remember the questions of the last LO Insights article about whether you brighten or darken a room or whether people smile at you or not?
If you want others to smile and be truly excited to see you, your smile and positive attitude will go a long way. However, what really makes others putty in your hands is not having the attitude of "here I am" but rather the outlook of "there you are". It makes us feel important and all of you loyal readers of LO Insights know the importance of making others feel important.
It works with your friends, loved ones, colleagues and customers. It will work at the dry cleaners, restaurant and grocery store too. In fact it works everywhere in all walks of life.
So next time you enter the room don't say "here I am". Everyone knows that much already. "There you are" is what they want so why not give it to them?