I think that the most significant piece of the Carnegie’s teaching to me so far has been the fact that he really puts himself into the other person’s viewpoint and assumes their way of looking at things. It’s not always easy to do this when you’re upset with your children or having a disagreement with the mechanic that’s just overcharged you on a bill for your car. What’s also tied into this is how to acknowledge people and really listen. Don’t try to be “interesting”, but be “interested” in the other person. People want to be heard, understood, and acknowledged. It’s hard to find this quality these days when everyone is talking so much. Truly listen and acknowledge what that person has to say. I think that I have really benefited a lot in this area by putting this training to use with my children. I’ve always thought that you can get a lot more out of treating them like a total part of the family, because they have opinions also. Just yesterday I was having a conversation with my six year old girl who was explaining to me why it was important for the parents to keep an equally balanced gift donation to both children. In other words, she was saying that if I give my son $5.00 to buy something at the store, I should also give her $5.00 to keep it equal. She proceeded to explain why this was important to her and the family unit, which honestly made a lot of sense. I really put myself in her viewpoint and it worked. There is a lot to be said for the “small” things that we take for granted every day that passes by. Slow down and use these Valuable tools. Thanks for listening.
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