Recounting a story by Charles Swindoll from his book ‘The Grace Awakening’:
One day President Thomas Jefferson and a group of companions were traveling across the country on horseback. They came to a river that had overflowed its banks because of a recent downpour. The river had washed away the bridge so each rider was forced to cross it on horseback, fighting for his life against the currents. The very real possibility of death because of the currents forced a traveller, who was not part of the group, to step aside and watch. After several riders had plunged in and made it to the other side, the traveller asked if President Jefferson would carry him across. The President unhesitatingly agreed and so the man climbed onto the horse and the two of them made it safely across to the other side.As the stranger slid off the horse onto dry ground, one of Jefferson's companions asked, "Why did you select the President?" The man was shocked and admitted he'd no idea that it was the President who'd helped him. "All I know," he said, "is that on some of your faces was written the answer 'NO,' and on some was written the answer 'YES.' His was a 'YES' face."
End of story.
A ‘YES face’ is more than just a pleasant, amiable or welcoming expression; it is the face of a person who knows the true worth of people, the invaluable contributions they make in his / her day to day life and the safety net they provide when the going gets tough. A person enlightened enough to realise the criticality of connecting and building strong, stable and productive relationships for survival and growth. After all, no man is an island. And the way to do so is to attract others with a ‘YES face’. Because a ‘NO face’ repels.
6 Ways to cultivate a ‘YES face’:
1. Simplest way is to smile, maintain friendly eye contact and have an open and inviting body posture. Project an approachable demeanor so people feel comfortable to reach out to you. But be honest and sincere, don’t fake it.
2. Actively encourage others to share their issues, problems, challenges with you and reciprocate by listening with the intent to understand.
3. Openly allow others to disagree with your thoughts, views and opinions. Show that you ‘agree to disagree’ and always welcome healthy & productive discussions.
4. Be habituated to helping others in whatever way you can and to whatever extent you can. Become their favourite ‘go-to person for help and solutions and be happy to share.
5. Enhance your knowledge & skills. The more you know, the more confident you are, the more it shows on your face and in your behaviour.
6. Strengthen your character. People with strong ethics and values have tremendous self confidence in themselves and in their ability to always make the right call and do the right things. This too clearly shows on their face and in their behaviour.
So what’s it going to be - ‘YES face’ or ‘NO face’. Decide wisely.
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