While driving last week I heard a public service announcement offered by www.disabilitycampaign.org that really caught my attention. I wanted to find a link or online recording to share with you and couldn’t. So I sent an e-mail directly to their organization asking for help. I received a most wonderful response including the actual script they used for the commercial. I’ve included the script below …my favorite line is this one… “Pleasant words promote instruction.”
(here’s the PSA) Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and when I have to be transferred from my wheelchair onto an airplane, I try to remember to wear shoes that don’t fall off my feet-that can happen when I’m being lifted by my husband and a gate agent. Recently when I was being lifted onto a plane, my right shoe did fall off my foot. I could tell the gate agent felt a little taken back, like he didn’t know what to do. So with good humor, I said with a smile, “Hey, I’ll tell you what, you be the handsome prince. Put my shoe back on my foot and let’s see if the slipper fits and I am Cinderella!” We all got a good laugh out of that one. There’s a proverb that says, “Pleasant words promote instruction,” and whoever wrote that was right. It’s just something to remember in the struggles of life from all of us at www.DisabilityCampaign.org .
I have been blessed in times past to travel with friend and fellow speaker Chad Hymas and witnessed first hand his use of pleasant words promoting instruction as he wonderfully guides others to help him change seats, positions, clothes as he travels and whatever else it takes as he travels around the world as a speaker. I remember my wanting to be a good travel companion, to be helpful with his bags, his bed clothes his movement from a vehicle to his wheelchair etc. But my wanting to be helpful didn’t come withe experience I needed to really make it happen. Chad was an expert at providing that experience through his use of pleasant words as he provided instruction so I could do what was needed… and help as I wanted.
As I experienced the pleasant words of instruction from Chad… I also watched him provide to others at a level of mastery that was inspiring. When I asked him about it… he told me that like so many other things in his current life… this was a skill like so many others that he had needed to learn and master after the accident that had left him paralyzed. He freely admitted that he wasn’t that experienced at asking for help or providing “pleasant words ” to promote instruction beforehand.
Generally… people want to be helpful, but may not always know how to provide it…they don’t need judgment as much as they need inspiration and instruction provided in a pleasant way. The examples of Joni and Chad invite us all to overcome our own dis-abilities and seek to mastery in the art of pleasant instruction….until perhaps someday we may be recognized for the greatness of our efforts to make a positive difference in the lives of others.
Mzsunflower's Say What? 