A winning personality

My five-year-old daughter never ceases to amaze me.  Like any parent, I simply adore everything about her.  My wife, Shelly, and I were both discussing the other day how remarkable she is.  Right now, she is playing the role of Gretl in a local community theatre’s production of The Sound of Music.  She has done a fantastic job through the long rehearsals and all of the memorization of lines, songs, blocking, choreography, and the like.  As proud as we are of her accomplishments on stage, we are even more proud of her accomplishments off the stage.  We can’t believe how well she just gets along with everyone in general, no matter where she is, and no matter who she’s around.

We tried to put our fingers on what it is about her that is so dynamic – so gravitating (besides the fact that she’s a cute and polite little girl).  We both agree that she has all the qualities of a winning personality.  I was reflecting the other day on what exactly are the qualities of a winning personality, and I have done my best to identify those qualities within my five-year-old daughter, so that I can actually learn from her and be a better person too! (Thanks Brianna!)

Here’s what I have learned from sweet Brianna:

 1. Learn (and remember) people’s names.  You can establish a much better relationship with anyone when you remember their names.  It shows you genuinely care about them.  We nickname Brianna "the elephant" because it seems she never forgets anything!

2. Learn (and remember) something about someone that is unique.  Again, remembering something unique about a person shows them that you genuinely care about them.  Brianna usually asks if people have pets, because she loves animals!

3. Show your sense of humor.  Having a sense of humor endears you to others, because it shows you enjoy life and like to have fun!

4. Find quality in other people.  By valuing the other person and sincerely enjoying your time with them, you are showing that you care about them sincerely.

5. Enjoy giving.  Brianna always thinks of special people in her life, and likes to get us to buy gifts for other people.  She loves giving things to people (she gets that characteristic from her mom).

6. Listen to other people.  As I had mentioned before, Brianna has a remarkable memory, and it is greatly enhanced because she truly listens to what other people say.

7. Ask questions – be inquisitive.  By continually learning new things, you have a wealth of information to share with others in conversation, if necessary.

8. Be enthusiastic, honest, and authentic.  Brianna is truly an authentic individual.  What you see is what you get (as with many people her age).

9. Be respectful.  Brianna is so very respectful, especially for her age.  She really shows her mom and dad that she respects what they have to say, even if she doesn’t like to hear what they have to say!

10. By doing all of the above, bring the best out of everyone else.  Brianna has a remarkable way of taking all of the above and blending it together to make the lives of everyone around her that much brighter.

Old or young, big or small, Brianna likes them all.  She surely is a blessing to have in my life, and Shelly and I are just so ever thankful that she is our daughter.  She makes us very proud!

I continually challenge myself to be more like my daughter.  Sometimes we learn best from the least likely sources!

Have a great day, and best wishes!

-Victor

P.S. If you are in the Chilton area, and want to see a great show (and I am not being biased in my critique – the entire show is wonderful), come and see The Sound of Music later this week!  Visit http://www.calumetcountycommunitytheatre.com/ for more details!