As I walked to my car after attending an “unconference” last week, this sticker on another car caught my eye.  I had to take a picture of it.  I’ve been thinking about it all week.

How might things transform if we all lived by this motto? What would the world be like if we all wagged more and barked less?

Leaders and Small Business Owners

Leaders and small business owners would focus on the strengths of their people.  They would share an exciting vision of the future, and help each person see how their contribution helps move the organization toward that future. They would set clear expectations, encourage their people, celebrate their successes, and help them learn from their “creative missteps.”

They would focus on and talk about what’s going right. They’d set achievable milestones so that people would feel a continued sense of progress and achievement. They’d get excited about small wins, and help them become bigger ones.  They’d become each of their employees’ biggest champion.

They’d create an organizational culture that is focused on creating an amazing experience for their customers. They would make their customers feel valued and appreciated, and make each transaction uncommonly good. Their customers would be so happy, that they’d wag themselves, telling others in their circle about their remarkable experience with the organization. Word would spread. Business would increase.  More wagging all around.

In Our Personal Lives

We’d focus on what’s going right. We’d live with a great sense of gratitude, and appreciate all of the awe-inspiring things we encounter each day—the smile of a toddler, a beautiful flower, the touch of a loved one, the taste of a juicy peach, the miracle of everyday life.  We would wag all day long if we simply tuned into just how good things in our lives really are.

We wouldn’t complain. We’d change what we had influence over, and let go of the rest.  We would not spend time complaining about things we have no power to change.  Barking about things we can’t change is a waste of time and energy.

We wouldn’t blame. We would focus on wagging our way to the solution to any problem we face, rather than looking at whose “fault” the problem is.

We’d be a joy to be around. People would be attracted to our positive energy, and want to hang with us. They’d wag more as well.  We’d all be wagging together, joyfully living our lives.

So that’s been my focus this last week—wagging more and barking less.

How about you?  What will you do to incorporate this into your life?  Are your ready to wag more and bark less?

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