Exploring how you could make a bad situation worse can sometimes tell you what not to do.

Anyone too busy to say thank you will get fewer and fewer chances to say it.

Laugh often. Starting your day with a good laugh, or at least a big smile, is as beneficial to your health as it is to your mood. Scientific studies at Northwestern University and Fordham University concluded that laughter benefits the heart, lungs, stomach and other organs. It relaxes tensions, changes attitude, and increases the body's natural painkillers. And it has no harmful side effects.

Don't fall in love with your wit. Your cleverly turned phrase may not, as you hope, show off how much gray matter you have, especially if the phrase is at someone else's expense.

Don't confuse visibility with credibility.

Your day usually goes the way the corners of your mouth turn. The most powerful single thing you can do to influence others is to smile at them.

"You learn when you listen. You earn when you listen - not just money, but respect.