Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 9:00 — 5.8MB) | Embed
Welcome to Stuff I Learned Yesterday. My name is Darrell Darnell, sometimes I’m the only one that laughs at my jokes, and I believe that if you aren’t learning, you aren’t living. In today’s episode of Stuff I Learned Yesterday I once again turn the mic over to my good friend, Derek Olsen.
If you’re looking to get caught up on Falling Skies before the season 4 premiere on Sunday, we’ve got you covered. Last night I recorded a Falling Skies recap episode with Emilee O’Leary, my co-host for Berserker Cast. You can find Berserker Cast in iTunes, Stitcher, or our website. Season 4 looks like it should be filled with lots of great action and alien butt kicking. I hope you’ll join the fun with us.
Friday Forum
Friday Forum is your opportunity to Share what YOU’VE learned, so that other listeners and I can learn from YOU. It can be a message as short as 30 seconds or several minutes long. It really doesn’t matter just as long as it’s something that will benefit others. You can participate in Friday Forum by visiting our Feedback Page.
What I Learned Yesterday:
My name is Derek Olsen and this is Stuff I Learned Yesterday.
A while back I went to an event at my church.
There were several people there that I was excited to see because I don’t get to see them very much. You know how you have those people in your life that you don’t see very often but you still think of them as good friends. I love having those people in my life.
Well anyway, the night moved forward and a few of those people said hi to me and I was glad to get a chance to chat and catch up with them. But a few of those people never did say hi to me. I was happy to chat with the friends that I did talk to, but I was also a little disappointed that I never did talk to a few of the others who were there.
Later in the evening after we got home, I told my wife Carrie how I had the chance to talk with some people, but there were a few that I didn’t talk to. I went on to tell her that they never came over to say hi to me. Carrie asked if I had approached them to say hello. I thought about it for a second and said, “No, no I didn’t”.
All of a sudden it hit me.
I was just as capable of saying hi to them as they were at saying hi to me. I realized that perhaps they didn’t say hi to me first because they were waiting for me to say hi to them first.
It was so simple, and yet I had been overlooking it for many years.
I also realized that maybe they said the same thing about me to their wives later that night, that I didn’t come say hi to them. And maybe they were also disappointed that we didn’t get a chance to talk.
I thought about this idea of saying hi first over the next several weeks. I thought about saying hi first to the person working at the grocery store and the gas station.
I realized that I always expected others to say hi to me first. I started thinking even more about saying hi first to people, even if the other person was supposed to say hi first such as a waiter or a hostess, someone being paid to do so.
When you wait for other people to say hi first, you aren’t helping your social life.
In fact, you might be heading to a lonely future, a place where everyone around you fades away because you never engage with anyone.
But it doesn’t have to be that way.
So, here’s what I learned.
There are so many opportunities, both big and small, to be the person who says hi first. At a department store, in line at the bank, at the movie theater, and especially at social events that involve friends, family, and acquaintances.
When given the chance to introduce yourself or to say hi first, always take the opportunity. It might sound silly, but it took a real effort for me to break the habit of always waiting for the other person to say hi to me first.
I sometimes make a game out of saying hi first. I’m not always the most social person, so making a game out of it helps me make the first move.
I call it the ‘say hi first’ game. It helps me, maybe it could help you.
I wasn’t being rude on purpose, I just happened to be in the habit of waiting for the other person to say hi first, and I didn’t even realize it.
When I thought about saying hi first more often, I was a little worried about it.
What if I came across awkward?
What if I step into a social situation that I don’t want to be in?
What if I don’t know what to say next?
Then I realized that I don’t have to impress every stranger that I say hi to. I don’t have anything to prove, and I don’t need to dazzle everyone with some sort of quick whit or sharp humor. Saying hi is good enough.
If you are an introvert or just a little on the shy or quiet side, this could be a challenge for you. But I promise you it’s easier than you think.
Saying hi first can’t hurt.
Saying hi first will help sharpen your social skills and win more friends.
Saying hi first could brighten a person’s day, especially a stranger who is just doing their job.
You don’t win any points by waiting for the other person to say hi first.
I learned that waiting around for other people to say hi first is a waste of time.
I learned that expecting others to say hi first just isn’t fair.
I learned that thinking poorly of others when they don’t say hi first is wrong.
I learned that I don’t ever want to be the person who didn’t say hi first.
When you wait on me to say hi first, and I wait on your to say hi first, we both lose out on an opportunity to enjoy each others company.
So…
Hi, my name’s Derek, and this is stuff I learned yesterday.
Thanks for listening.
Derek and Carrie encourage married couples to have better conversations about money. Download ‘4 ½ Conversation Starters,’ a free e-book on having better conversations on money and marriage. Listen to the Better Conversations on Money and Marriage Podcast.
If you’ve enjoyed this episode of Stuff I Learned Yesterday, I would be grateful if you’d leave a review in iTunes.
[sc:stuff]