Step to building a positive personality

Step 1: Accept Responsibility

"Responsibilities gravitate to the person who can shoulder them."
                                                                                      --Elbert Hubbard

When people accept additional responsibility they are actually giving themselves a promotion. Responsible behavior is to accept accountability and that represents maturity. Acceptance of responsibility is a reflection of our attitude and the environment we operate in. Most people are quick to take credit for what goes right but very few would accept responsibility when things go wrong. A person who does not accept responsibility
is not absolved from being responsible. Our objective is to cultivate responsible behavior. Responsible behavior should be inculcated right from childhood. It cannot be taught without a certain degree of obedience

                                                

  People who don't accept responsibility shift the blame to their parents, teachers, genes, God, fate, luck or the stars. Johnny said, "Mama, Jimmy broke the window." Mama asked, "How did he do it?" Johnny replied, "I threw a stone at him and he ducked." People who use their privileges without accepting  responsibility usually end up losing them.                                                                                                       

Step 2: Consideration

One day, a ten-year-old boy went to an ice cream shop, sat at a table and asked the waitress, "How much is an ice-cream cone?" She said, "seventy-five cents." The boy started counting the coins he had in his hand. Then he asked how much a small cup of ice-cream was. The waitress impatiently replied, "sixty five cents." The boy said, "I will have the small ice-cream cup." He had his ice-cream, paid the bill and left. When the waitress came to pick up the empty plate, she was touched. Underneath were ten one cent coins as tip. The little boy had consideration for the waitress before he ordered his ice cream. He showed sensitivity and caring. He thought of others before himself

 

 If we all thought like the little boy, we would have a great place to live. Show consideration, courtesy, and politeness. Thoughtfulness shows a caring attitude.

 

 Step 3: Think Win / Win

A man died and St. Peter asked him if he would like to go to heaven or hell. The man asked if he could see both before deciding.

St. Peter took him to hell first and the man saw a big hall with a long table, lots of food onit and music playing. He also saw rows of people with pale, sad faces. They looked starved and there was no laughter. And he observed one more thing. Their hands were tied to four-foot forks and knives and they were trying to get the food from the center of the table to put into their mouths. But they couldn't. Then, he went to see heaven. There he saw a big hall with a long table, with lots of food
on the table and music playing. He noticed rows of people on both sides of the table with their hands tied to four-foot forks and knives also. But he observed there was something different here. People were laughing and were well-fed and healthy-looking. He noticed that they were feeding one another across the table. The result was happiness, prosperity, enjoyment, and gratification because they were not thinking of themselves alone; they were thinking win/win. The same is true of our lives. When we serve our customers, our families, our employers and employees, we automatically win.

 

 Step 4: Choose Your Words Carefully

A person who says what he likes usually ends up hearing what he doesn't like. Be tactful. Tact consists of choosing one's words carefully and knowing how far to go. It also means knowing what to say and what to leave unsaid. Talent without tact may not always be desirable. Words reflect attitude. Words can hurt feelings and destroy relationships. More people have been hurt by an improper choice of words than by any natural disaster. Choose what you say rather than say what you choose. That is the difference between wisdom and foolishness. Excessive talking does not mean communication. Talk less; say more. A fool speaks without thinking; a wise man thinks before speaking. Words spoken out of bitterness can cause irreparable damage. The way parents speak to their children in many instances shapes their children's destiny

 

 Step 5: Don't Criticize and Complain

When I talk of criticism I refer to negative criticism. Why should we not criticize? When a person is criticized, he becomes defensive. Does that mean we should never criticize, or can we give positive criticism? A critic is like a back-seat driver who drives the driver mad.

 Positive Criticism

What is constructive criticism? Criticize with a spirit of helpfulness rather than as a putdown. Offer solutions in your criticism. Criticize the behavior, not the person, because when we criticize the person, we hurt their self esteem. The right to criticize comes with the desire to help. As long as the act of criticizing does not give pleasure to the giver, it is okay. When giving criticism becomes a pleasure, it is time to stop. Some suggestions for giving criticism that motivates others

                        "We cannot always

                                       build the future for

                        our youth, but we

                                        can build the youth

                        for our future."

                                              —Franklin D.Roosevelt