I am amazed at how much junk mail I get. I get it both in massive paper and electronic quantities. I spend a lot of time throwing the paper variety away and deleting the electronic variety. Research by McAfee states that the average American spends 40 minutes a week deleting this spam. And the National Technology Readiness Survey stated that the amount of time workers spend deleting spam costs companies worldwide $22 Billion. The same survey also found that 80% of the emails we receive are classified as spam. What a waste of time.
I find this to be quite a nuisance, but it must pay some sort of dividend because people keep sending it. I wonder if the companies that produce the paper variety feel as guilty as I do when I throw it away. I think they know that most of it ends up in the trash can. I wish some of those companies would decide to go green and stop sending so much paper waste all over the world. I very rarely find anything of value in this barrage of information. It makes me unenthusiastic about going through the mail because I know there will only be few pieces that I really need to see.
Junk Words
As I thought about this mail problem and its impact, I started thinking about the language we use with our friends and co-workers. One of my goals this year is to "Help More & Judge Less". As I focus on this goal, I am much more aware of the "junk words" that I sometimes use. The kind that don't do anything to lift or build others. It just tears them down.
As I reduce and even eliminate this behavior I find that others are more open to me and that I am more able to help them. The only thing I have moderated is the amount of junk messages I send others. Sometimes it is hard to do and I have to really think about it before I say anything.
Even though the proprietors who send me so much junk mail must profit from their efforts, I have found that I never profit from speaking poorly to another or behind another's back. I only suffer the consequences of people hitting the delete button when I start to speak. I more I eliminate this behavior the more I find others listening to me.
Love Enough To Speak The Truth
I am a good communicator and I know how to say things without hurting others, even when they are difficult for that person to hear. I can only do that when I come from a position of love. That is why my goal is to "Help More – Judge Less". It is hard for me to judge others when I love them, but it is very easy for me to help them. This does not mean that I am holding back the truth, the message just sounds different when it is delivered in a truly selfless way. It gets through because I am clear about my objectivity.
In order to truly help someone, there will always be times when it is necessary to say what must be said. That is not always easy, but we can control the tone and the message. I remind myself of that every day. It helps me live on purpose.
Major Impact
Think about the impact of junk mail that I described at the beginning of this post. If that is what junk mail does to our levels of productivity, imagine what junk words do. Frankly, I can't think of anything more damaging and that is why I am working on this myself.
What kind of messages are you delivering? Are you spending so much time prescribing and correcting that you forget to nurture and lift others up? Are you aware of the language and facial expressions you use when you are dealing with those that matter most to you? How about the impact you have on others when you walk in the room? Are they happy to see you? If these questions aren't questions you regularly ask yourself, then I invite you to ask them now. I promise that the answers, even though some of them may be difficult for you to hear, will help you become a better leader.
Live Today! Love Today!
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