Be Tactful

“Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy.” - Isaac Newton

"People with tact have less to retract." - Arnold H. Glasow

How we express our thoughts determines how it is perceived. Thus, it is very important to express our thoughts with clarity and diplomacy.

Look at the photo or read the story below that illustrates this point:

A King woke up dreaming about losing all his teeth. He summoned a very well known fortune teller of his kingdom to interpret his dream. "All losing teeth means the death of the whole family...", the fortune teller responded. Like stricken by thunder, the king got very angry, and he was very furious about it. So he ordered a sentence of 20 times whip to be given to the fortune teller.

The king was still curious by then, and so he again summoned another fortune teller of the kingdom.

After listening to the story, the fortune teller with a smile said,"The dream is saying that Your Highness is the luckiest person in the whole world. You will live longer than the rest of the other family members." Having heard the explanation, a bright smile cracked in the king's face. He was delighted and awarded 5 gold coins to the fortune teller.

"Silence is not always tact, and it is tact that is golden, not silence." - Samuel Butler

One of the basic causes for all the trouble in the world today is that people talk too much and think too little. They act impulsively without thinking.

Let us learn to be tactful, considerate and respectful when we speak. What do you think?

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• Be careful how you say things
• Be Polite To All
• Be a gentleman - Speak Softly, Don't Argue!
• Learn to communicate your thoughts
• The Way You Speak

Be careful how you say things

"Words and hearts should be handled with care for words when spoken and hearts when broken are the hardest things to repair."

The way you communicate with others is very important because that's the beginning of relationships building.

If you do not know how to speak, you should remain silent.

Email is also another form of communication. Don't let the speed and ease of sending email blind you to the fact that you will be judged on what you say and how you say it.

"Think twice before you speak, because your words and influence will plant the seed of either success or failure in the mind of another." - Napoleon Hill

Take a look at this story:

It was Alice's second anniversary, and her husband sent her flowers at the office. When he placed the order he told the florist to write "Happy Anniversary, Year Number 2" on the card.

Alice was delighted when the florist arrived, but her joy was heavily clouded by the note on the card. It read "Happy Anniversary. You're Number 2."

"Sharp dagger only wounds the flesh, but a sharp tongue can wound the spirit."

Good communication skills can be learned. They are at the heart of interpersonal skills and the greater your awareness of how it all works, the more effective your communication will be.

We should always think before we speak or write because choices of words can make a lot of difference.

Photo 1 by Birta Rán taken from this source
Photo 2 by MoonSoleil taken from this source

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Remember to KISS?

"All the fun is in how you say a thing." - Robert Frost

KISS is an acronym of the phrase "Keep It Simple, Stupid". Another version of the phrase is "Keep It Short & Simple" which you might hear quite often before you deliver your speech or presentation to a group of people who have a very tight schedule.

Sidney Smith wrote: "The writer helps us the most who give us the most knowledge, and takes from us the least time."

If you understand this principle well, you will always try to keep your writing short and simple by going straight to the point.

I love short and simple quotes because they are easy to remember and give remarkable impact. Below are some of those short quotes that I love:

"Men learn while they teach.
"Conceit is the quicksand of success."
"Today is the future I created yesterday."
"I look within to find my treasures."
"Good, to forgive; Best, to forget."
"Our attitude determines our altitude."
"You never know what you can do till you try."
"You never miss the water till the well runs dry."
"We are often our own worst enemy."
"Mistakes are the best teachers."
"Delegate but don't forget."

The above short quotes can be good topics for blogging!

In commercial world, very few thin books make big money even though their content can be superb because many could finish reading those books without the need of buying. However, in blog I tend to believe that we don't need long posts because many people don't really have time to read as there are so many blogs nowadays. Besides, since we blog daily, breaking a long post into multiple posts should be more effective.

What is your view about this? By the way, if you have short quotes you love, please share in your comments. Thank you.

Photo 1 by sierraromeo taken from this source
Photo 2 by ario_j taken from this source

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Speak or Say No Evil

“He who knows, does not speak.
He who speaks, does not know.” - Lao Tzu

Karen, the author of Waterlearner is encouraging everyone to speak no evil! Well, I had joined her boot camp.

She has indeed inspired me to come out with this post.


"To be aware of a single shortcoming within oneself is more useful than to be aware of a thousand in somebody else. Rather than speaking badly about people and in ways that will produce friction and unrest in their lives, we should practice a purer perception of them, and when we speak of others, speak of their good qualities." - Dalai Lama

"If you hear that someone is speaking ill of you, instead of trying to defend yourself you should say: "He obviously does not know me very well, since there are so many other faults he could have mentioned" - Epictetus

"The difference between a smart man and a wise man is that a smart man knows what to say, a wise man knows whether or not to say it." - Frank M. Garafola

“Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something.” - Plato

“Too often the strong, silent man is silent only because he does not know what to say, and is reputed strong only because he has remained silent.” - Winston Churchill

“The best answer to anger is silence.”

According to Dale Carnegie, “There are four ways, and only four ways, in which we have contact with the world. We are evaluated and classified by these four contacts, what we do, how we look, what we say, and how we say it.

The bible tells us in James 3:7-10 (NIV):

All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.

So think twice before you speak! Do you agree?

Photo by HOUGE M L taken from this source

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Your Body Language - A Key to Success

Do you know that your body language is even more important that your words?

What does your body language say? Does it say you're confident, smart, and enthusiastic - or just the opposite?

Body Language can be A Key to Success in the Workplace.

You can learn to recognize a whole cluster of body language from here.

"Body language is a very powerful tool. We had body language before we had speech, and apparently, 80% of what you understand in a conversation is read through the body, not the words." - Deborah Bull

"Your body language may give you away!"

"A significant amount of communication occurs through body language. Though we can't see our own, everyone else does. If you're saying one thing and thinking another, your body language may well give you away."

It is important for us to work on our body language. We need to pay as much attention to it as the words we use!

Photo by Glenn Loos-Austin taken from this source

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Your heart is your compass in life

“There are many things in life that will catch your eye, but only a few will catch your heart... pursue those.” - Michael Nolan

“If your head tells you one thing, and your heart tells you another, before you do anything, you should first decide whether you have a better head or a better heart” - Marilyn vos Savant

It is chance that makes brothers but hearts that make friends. Use you head to handle yourself; your heart to handle others. You change your life by changing your heart.

“Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all” - Aristotle

“In prayer it is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart.” - Mahatma Gandhi

“Let your heart guide you. It whispers softly, so listen closely.”

“Wherever you go, go with all your heart.” - Confucius

“Only do what your heart tells you.” - Princess Diana

Photo by mozzercork taken from this source

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Learn to communicate your thoughts

To win friends instantly, admire everything and everybody, and express it freely.

“Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.” - Mother Teresa

Most of us impress too much, express too little. Reading, listening, watching TV is impressing - absorbing - taking in. Talking, writing, doing is expressing - giving out. For faster growth, expressing should equal impressing.

“Having knowledge but lacking the power to express it clearly is no better than never having any ideas at all” - Pericles

“Words and hearts should be handled with care for words when spoken and hearts when broken are the hardest things to repair.”

“There are hundreds of languages in the world, but a smile speaks them all.”

Photo by nuanc taken from this source

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Good Communication Skill

The ability to speak is a short cut to distinction.

Studies have shown that only 7% of what is communicated between people is transmitted through the WORDS themselves. 38% comes through the TONE of voice. 55% of communication, the largest part is the result of physiology or body language.

“First learn the meaning of what you say, and then speak.” - Epictetus

A wise man speaks when others have exhausted their words. If you do not know how to speak, better learn how to keep quiet.

Photo by Dom Dada taken from this source

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The Powers of Words

Do not underestimate the powers of words.

Confucius was once asked what he would do if he were to be made the Emperor of China. Without hesitation, he said, "I would teach my people with great inspiring words, so that by the use and application of these words, they shall grow strong."

Posted with permission from www.daretofail.com
Photo by catina jane arts taken from this source

Important Words

The SIX most important words: "I ADMIT I MADE A MISTAKE" The FIVE most important words: "YOU DID A GOOD JOB" The FOUR most important words: "WHAT IS YOUR OPINION?" The THREE most important words: "IF YOU PLEASE" The TWO most important words: "THANK YOU" The ONE most important word: "WE" The LEAST important word: "I"

Photo by Darwin Bell taken from this source