Silly Old Bear...NOT...!!!

"How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" Psalm 119:103 AMP

"Winnie the Pooh, Winnie the Pooh, Tubby little cubby all stuffed with fluff,
He's Winnie the Pooh, Winnie the Pooh, Willy, nilly, silly, old bear..."

When I was growing up I heard many different sayings, some more true than others. The one I remember best stood out the most because to me it made the most sense. It was this:

You can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar.

I don't know where I first heard it, or who actually said it, but I agree with it completely.  Think about it: honey is sweet, nourishing, attractive...you could even say honey is addictive; the more you eat, the more you want. I think bears must be onto something since they like it so much. To be honest, I don't know anyone who has tasted honey that doesn't enjoy it, doesn't want more of it, and doesn't like having it around.

By contrast, there is vinegar, seemingly the exact opposite. I'm sure vinegar has its purposes, as people like to cook with it or use it for other reasons, but let's be honest here. When most people think of vinegar a pleasant memory doesn't immediately come to mind. It's sour, the smell is strong, and the taste is not all that appetizing on its own. In fact, I don't know many people who look forward to sampling vinegar all by itself; it has to be part of a dish they've made, or a salad dressing, before it can be tolerated.

From the standpoint of personal relationships, it makes much more sense become more like honey and less like vinegar. Why? Look at it this way: there's this thing called aftertaste, the last memory of food on your tongue that you've eaten. Think of the aftertaste of honey...now think of the aftertaste of vinegar. I bet you could easily tell the difference just by using your imagination, couldn't you?

Well, the impression you leave with people you meet is like the aftertaste of your personality. Do you want to leave a sweet taste in their mouth, one they thoroughly enjoy and can't wait to try again, or a bad, sour taste in their mouth, one they can't get away from soon enough, and hope to avoid as often as humanly possible, to the best of their ability? Again, the answer is obvious, especially if you want to build a solid relationship with people, both personally and professionally.

So take a hint from the bears, especially Winnie the Pooh, who couldn't get enough of his beloved "Hunny." Be sweet, be nourishing (encouraging, inspiring, uplifting, motivating), be pleasant and attractive. Take the high road, put your best foot forward everywhere you go. Leave a good taste in everyone's mouths that stays with them long after you leave their company, a taste of you that leaves them wanting more of your presence, a taste they can't wait to taste again; the sooner, the better. You'll find yourself going to more places where you're celebrated rather than tolerated.

Maybe, just maybe, you'll learn that the lesson about having a disposition that's sweeter than honey goes a long way in building solid relationships...and that Winnie the Pooh is really crazy like a fox, rather than just a "...silly old bear..."

That's all for now, gotta run.  Until we meet again, remember...

Keep it simple....See ya!