January Series "Rich Devos"

I was recently privileged to attend the January Series, which featured Mr. Richard Devos. Mr. Devos spoke mainly on the power of words and motivation. He was speaking in regards to his new book Ten Powerful Phrases for Positive People. I was first intrigued with the charisma of the speaker. He approached each phrase with excited poise, especially considering he is in his mid eighties. I found his points and ideas captivating. He went through each one of the phrases that he wrote and described in the book throwing in heavy amounts of comic relief, to make the speech both captivating and light hearted. One of the phrases that he stressed heavily and even got emotional about was “I am wrong and I am sorry”. He stated that one of the main things in the way of making yourself successful, was yourself. He gave the idea that pride will only hold you back, and that learning to admit you are wrong and that you are sorry, is crucial not only in your interactions with customers, but also employees. Another phrase that he focused on was “you can do it”. Motivation is crucial in any good relationship. We depend on one another for many things, but we especially need each other’s support. Another important phrase was “thankyou”. So simple, but also so powerful, it is often so underestimated the importance gratitude has in any relationship. It is crucial to make someone feel that they are appreciated, not only so they continue in what they are doing, but feel good about doing it. A final phrase that really stuck with me from Devos’s speech was” I love you”. So often we reserve such a phrase for our families or spouses, but love exist and should be expressed in every relationship that we form.