Visiting Heaven and Hell

St. Peter's Message

Issue #46

When was the last time you received a compliment? Today? Last week? Last month?  Last year? When was the last time you complimented someone?

We all need to be appreciated and thanked for what we do. Unfortunately, our society is very poor at delivering compliments and praise. And people praise creative leaders even less. If you want to receive more compliments, you must give more compliments. We live in a hostile world where people feel it is cool to be in your face putting you down. If we want to change the world, we must first change ourselves.

Compliments need three elements: They must be sincere, not fake or phony. They must also be delivered on time, not six months later. Third, they should be specific, not general. The more specific a compliment is, the more meaningful it is.

Years ago, I was in the hospital recovering from surgery for prostate cancer. My nurse was grouchy. I complimented her on her ring, and she suddenly brightened up and said it was a gift from her husband. She also shared that her husband had passed away five years earlier. You don't know what is on the hearts of the people you meet, so compliment them.

I don't believe in negative criticism. Most creative leaders are their own worst critics. They can tell you everything they do wrong before you do. When teaching someone a new skill, I don’t tell him what he did wrong. Instead, I asked him to tell me what he would do differently next time. This allows the person to focus on the changes he will make, not what he did wrong.

Life is challenging and difficult. Many events can break our hearts and make us want to give up on life. I don't know what is on your heart today as you read this — maybe it is a terminal diagnosis, a divorce, the death of a loved one, or perhaps something as simple as a boss who said something that hurt you.

I hope that you do not let the negativity of the world around you bring you down. The world is not coming to an end despite all the doomsday prophets who forecast the coming of the last days. The world will go on with us or without us. So don't fret. Don't worry about what you cannot change. You are still above ground, and there is still hope.  

I challenge you to look for the good in others and compliment them on what they do well. Compliment the good you see in their creative work. Be sincere and honest.  Don't lie. So start today. Don't wait. It will cost you nothing, but the positive rewards will be great.

Words are very powerful. A few words here or there can change a life. Who have been the encouragers in your life? Maybe it was a parent, a teacher, a friend, a child, or a preacher. What did they say to you? How did they touch your life? How did they change your life?  

Many motivational speakers have inspired me over the years. In December 1982, while driving to Texas from Illinois to start a new job, I discovered Zig Ziglar, the grandfather of motivational speaking, on the radio. I didn't know who he was or the impact he would eventually have on my life.  

I have since met him and seen him speak on several occasions. The last time I saw him speak was at the 2000 National Speakers Association annual convention in Washington, D.C. Like many speakers I enjoy, I have listened to him dozens of times on tape. I, with his permission, tell some of his stories.

One of my favorite Ziglar stories is about a man who had the opportunity to visit heaven and hell before he died.  

St. Peter asked the man where he wanted to go. He told St. Peter to take him down to hell. There, he saw a beautiful banquet hall with the finest food and drink you could imagine. When he looked at the people, he saw they were skin and bones, cursing and swearing at each other. He told St. Peter to take him up to heaven.  

In heaven, he saw the same beautiful banquet hall filled with the finest food and drink. When he looked at the people, he saw that they were healthy and robust and that they were laughing and singing. The man asked St. Peter what was going on.  

St. Peter responded, "Did you see the silverware." Strapped to their arms were a four-foot fork and a four-foot knife. Now, we all know we can't eat with such long silverware.  

The people in hell were so busy getting everything for themselves that nobody got anything. Up in heaven, each person would feed the person across from him, and that person would feed him back.  

The message is simple but powerful: if you help other people get what they need and want, you will get everything you need and want.

As creative leaders, we have the opportunity to touch the lives of the people we meet through our creative work. Whose life did you touch today?

Plant seeds of hope in the hearts of others.