Article By Kevin L. DeWitt

Have you ever thought about how many words do you speak during an average day?  Not including text messaging and emails, the average person speaks about 16,000 words each day.

Of course, much of what we say each day can be much less important than we would hope … minor chit-chat, short exchanges at the checkout line, and (hopefully not often) rants and raves.

There are often things we forgot to say, things we wish later we had said, and still other things we wish we had never said at all throughout the day …

Yet the list is pretty short when you think of the essential things we should make sure to say each day.  Here are my top 6.  I’ll wager you believe the list is fairly simplistic … yet the positive impact these six things can make in your day – and in the days of others - is pretty dramatic:

Thank you
And no … I don’t mean “No Problem” … a poor substitute for “Thank you.”  You cannot say “thank you” too often.  Even if you feel someone is providing you a service – such as a server at a restaurant - that they should do anyway, thanking them will make both of you feel good.  The same holds true for saying thank you to employees or subordinates, thank you to the music minister who put so much thought into Sunday’s worship, or think you to your spouse for the little things he or she does to make your house a home … and also saying thank you to God.  Those two small words of gratitude can mean a lot, wherever they are directed.

Hello
Do you sit silently next to someone while waiting for a class to start, or in a waiting room?  How often have you stood in line at the post office or bank, only to roll your eyes about the long wait? Just saying a simple “Hello” or “Hi” to the person next to you, and offering them a smile, could give you an instant boost to you mood (and probably to the other person as well).  You might even get into a conversation to pass the time while you’re waiting.

Please
We often associate “please” with “thank you.”  It may be because we are taught to say both as young children … yet think about the word. 

Saying please automatically turns a demand into a request.  It doesn’t matter if it is a server at a restaurant being asked for refills on iced tea, or your spouse being asked to hold dinner because you were pulled into a last-minute meeting, people by their very nature will be much happier about helping you when it is a request … and it shows respect for the other person.  It doesn’t just set a great example for your kids; it sets a tone of politeness and mutual respect wherever you are and whatever you are doing.

Hi, I’m …
If you are like me, you struggle with introducing yourself to someone you’ve never met.  We’re shy, perhaps embarrassed.  Yet if you meet someone new, don’t just ask about the weather or say nothing but “hi”; let them know your name … perhaps help them to place you (such as “I’m so and so’s brother.”), and ask them their name.  It’s so much easier and friendlier than talking to someone new for several minutes and then being forced to say “Sorry, I didn’t catch your name.” The result is you’ll feel more confident, you’ll remember them the next time you meet (as will they), and you’re demonstrating respect not only for them but for yourself as well.

Let me help
It’s not just for Boy Scouts.  Seriously.  “Let me help” comes very close to “I love you.”  It’s empathy, compassion and concern … even if it’s merely helping someone with their luggage, or food tray.  When you see someone struggling, offer to help.  They may rebuff you, but most people will be grateful.

I love you
Lastly, these three most important words.  Do you say these enough to the people who you love? And it they shouldn’t be reserved just for your spouse.  Think about your kids, your parents, your brothers and sisters, your nieces and nephews, your cousins?  It’s easy to assume that people “just know” we love them, but sometimes hearing these words can really make someone’s day.

“The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone.”
-Harriet Beecher Stowe

“Preach the gospel everywhere you go, and, if necessary, use words.”
-Saint Francis of Assisi

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