Following on from a post I put up yesterday about how powerful our thoughts and words are about others as well as ourselves, I want to share an example of this. In the school I used to work in I had a colleague who was abrasive and critical and I didn’t find her at all easy to get on with. I could very easily have been defensive myself, but made a decision to act differently. I chose to look for all the positive things I could see in her and to deliberately praise her whenever I could. As I did this I began to see her in a new way. I saw something of the sensitive heart she had behind her defences and I recognised, amongst other things what a gifted teacher she was. Our relationship changed and instead of her being ‘prickly’ and defensive towards me she gradually became open and trusting. We became friends. She was one of the people I was most sorry to say ‘goodbye’ to when I left that workplace.