Do I have your attention? Oh good, because today I’d like to introduce you to 5 ” magic words “, the keys to the kingdom. I promised my children that these words, used properly, would guarantee them success in life, not in terms financial, but in terms of peace and joy,commodities in short supply . These words are: ” PLEASE “, ” THANK YOU “, ” SORRY”,” MA’AM “, and ” SIR ” ( as in ” no ma’am” or ” yes sir ” ). ” Please ” and ” Thank you ” stand on their own merits and need no instructions ! However my family had difficulty accepting the responsibility of ” Sorry “, does this sound familiar? “Why?” you ask. ” Sorry ” does not signify your guilt. It simply reinforces your concern for others. You should be sorry when you observe someone in stress or pain, don’t you agree ? Therefore, this word connotes genuine empathy in a world which appears to have lost its ” humanity “! If I do not agree with you on an issue, I apologize and doesn’t that help you to experience less antagonism? Now as regards the use of ” Ma’am ” and ” Sir “, these words are a show of respect, another disappearing ” nuance ” of our fading society ( with the exception of the military ). Structure plays a larger role in achieving personal success in as much as it utilizes our best qualities when necessary and these words form a part of that ! They indicate that we do care and will make an effort to listen with respect. Am I mistaken?
Sincerely,
Claire B.
Claire V. Bogdanos 