NEVER Try this at Work

I was on a long drive with my brother and his girlfriend Kim. We were swapping tips about improving relationships and dealing with difficult people. Kim offered this gem:

When you are discussing your issues or concerns, turn off the TV go to a neutral place like the kitchen table and make sure that one part of your body is touching. Before your mind goes off in the wrong direction, it can be your hand or a barefoot touching, just make sure that one part of the body makes physical contact.

I looked up the word touch in Webster’s and the first definition states, “Handle or feel gently usually with the intent to understand or appreciate.” Why do you touch soft silk? Because you just love the smooth, cool feel. In other words, you appreciate the material. Why do you hold hands when you walk with your date or mate? Holding hands makes it hard to get around fixed posts, but again there is an element of appreciation in that simple gesture.

I think that a simple touch can be a powerful tool to reach a compromise when you disagree on an important issue because it reminds you that your appreciation for that other person is more important than winning the argument.

I hear some tips and say to myself, “I’d like to try that.” I heard this tip and said, “I have to try it.”