The Importance of Me and You

THE IMPORTANCE of ME and YOU

Positive Communication Is NOT All Me!

These two little words . . . me and you . . . are filled with potential for stress. It used to amuse me when people would say, “It must be so nice to work in a church!” Here’s the truth: Communication skills and a desire for teamwork are important no matter where you work.

In today’s high-tech world, employers are still looking for these “soft skills.”

Put people together and it seems challenges remain the same. Note this fifteenth century comment by *Thomas A Kempis: It is no easy matter to live in a monastery or in any form of community life, to pass your days without bickerings, and to persevere faithfully until death.

What stood out to me was the phrase “any form of community life.” Isn’t that what our lives are? Community? From birth to death? Simply put, community means living with others.

Put Positive Ideas To Work For You

Practical suggestions for community life in Bible times sound like this in today’s English: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand (Philippians 2:2-4, The Message Bible).

Most people desire to create a win-win situation for themselves and others. But sometimes aggressive people bog down the process. To them ME always outranks YOU.

Let’s be positive. Consider the scope of my poem, and draw your own conclusions:

WORDS of LIFE

Darlis Sailors

Words have length and words have power

Say “I” and it marks my place

The world is big, and I am in it

Say “you” and life gets larger

I admit that there are others

I have a place, but so do you

You and I can join as one

Show strength as “we,” a force for change

We, as a team, produce good or evil

Alone I am one, my choice

With you, I must learn to give

Our spaces touch and new vision emerges

How will we live, part you---part me

Our plan is formed with give and take

Small words of life with power

(copyright, 2016)

*The Imitation of Christ: The Inspirational Teachings of Thomas A Kempis, Book 1, Chapter XVII, On The Monastic Life, p. 42, Translated by Stephen MacKenna, 2006, Sacred Wisdom by Watkins Publishing, London.