INSIDE OUTperson is a creative coper, one sensible enough to recognize a
dead end and search for a workable alternative. The flexible person
can shift gears and change approach when things aren't working
out. Best of all, the flexible person sends out a subtext of confidence.
He or she says, "I believe that I can make things work, even if
I have to choose another way to do it."
The flexible person is the one people usually turn to when a
problem arises. If you are like that, you are constantly aware of
reality, and this awareness will teach you how much you can
achieve in any deadlocked situation. You not only know when to
stop trying, but also when to keep trying when there is a realistic
chance of success.
A deeper recognition of flexibility as a way to project a positive
subtextual image will allow you to use it to influence other people.
Parents using a little flexibility can move children in almost any
direction. Teachers can influence pupils, and supervisors can influ-
ence the people under them.
The key to it all is to abolish rigidity. At crucial intervals,
reexamine your motives, goals, and procedures. Each time, recog-
nize whether you are locked into the wrong path or committed to
the right one.EMPATHY AND THE METHOD
The third inner trait that sends out a positive image to others is
the ability to participate in another's feelings: empathy. Empathy
evokes a subtext of concern and interest in other people. It wins
confidence!
"You don't understand what I've been through," the salesman
tells his manager, almost frantically. "You don't know what it's
like out there on the street!"