Common Courtesies

Common courtesies are traceable to scripture.

The Golden Rule:“Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.”

Paul’s letter to the Philippians: “Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.”

Here is my list for today. You will certainly have others.

1. When you are greeting or meeting with someone, ignore your cell phone, unless you are expecting an urgent call.

2. Turn your cell phone off during concerts, speeches, lectures, plays and worship.

3. Let people get off the elevator before you get on.

4. Prepare for a trip by giving yourself enough time to arrive. Then allow others to merge, take the closest parking place, go first at a stop sign. It is a wonderful feeling to be in control of your kindness.

5. Treat your server as a person. Smile and ask how they are.

6. If you can afford to eat out you can afford to leave a minimum tip of 18% or 20%. Servers work for poverty wages. They depend on tips.

7. Be kind when you call to resolve problem with goods or services.

8. If you are troubled when someone says something unkind, either ignore it, or simply ask them to repeat it so you can better understand what they meant. Then ignore it.

9. When someone is speaking, listen.

10. Repeat words back to confirm your understanding of what was said.

11. Say kind words about others. Those words will get back to them.

12. Be patient in line, waiting at the doctor’s office, for a return call, for the check in the mail. Allow grace time when dealing with people.

13. Thank people when they do something for you.  I suppose electronic communication is o.k. but if you really want to make them feel good send a written note.

14. Respond to invitations, either accepting or expressing regret.

15. Hold your tongue if what you have to say is hurtful or insulting.

16. Tell the truth, but only if you can do so with love and kindness.

There is more.

Moving to the deeper places,
Jeff