Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Stop Being Agreeable and Speak Your Mind!

I just want to throw something out there: your thoughts matter and feedback is really important.

I just sent an email to someone close to me trying to persuade them to make a change for the better. I noticed something, I thought a long time about it, and I realized that it actually shows great care to bring hard things up.

But it's not just for big things. When the waiter asks you how your food was, be honest! Don't just say "great!" and grimace as he turns away. The poor restaurant owner will be forced to close his establishment and he'll never know why.

Don't post on social media about how terrible a place is without contacting them first; they're in that business for a reason—they think they can provide something that people want. Give them a chance to make it right. I've found that most places will make it right because they appreciate feedback and want to provide the best products and services they can.

Positive feedback is the most powerful, and that's why I sent my dermatologist a thank you note for his awesome service recently. How often do you think places receive thank you notes? Not often. It'll make their day.

Positive and negative feedback help people improve, and you're actually doing people a disservice when you're not open and honest with them. There is never a need to be mean or hateful; just be honest.

Monday, April 20, 2015

The Youngest

It seems like I'm constantly seeing some post or article describing children who are the youngest in their family. Risk-taker? Limelight-lover? Spoiled? HA!! I think you have it all wrong. First of all, I am the opposite of all of those things.

Youngests are used to taking a backseat to everyone elseliterally and figuratively. They're used to being ignored. Now, I don't like to be ignored for real, but there are many times when I wish I could go unnoticed, or I'd rather watch than participate because that's what I grew up doing.

Youngests are used to hand-me-downs. (Me not as much as others because all my siblings are boys, but I still enjoyed my siblings' old video games and t-shirts.)

They're observant and learn from others' mistakes. Very observant.

They also know how to be alone and connect with people older than them because they're the ones who are left behind with mom and dad in their teen years.

And this one is key: they have to at some point assert their independence because if they don't, everyone will always treat them as "the baby."

That's MY experience anyway.