Today is Tuesday, so this post is on positive personal impact.
If you live in the US, you probably have heard and seen plenty about the Don Imus saga. For those of you who don’t know, Don Imus is a “shock jock”, a radio personality talk show host whose programs are often controversial.
A little more than a week ago, the day after the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship game, Mr. Imus made some very disparaging remarks about the Rutgers University women’s basketball team. He was branded as racist and a misogynist for these comments. If you’ve heard them, you know exactly what I’m talking about. If you haven’t it’s best to let sleeping dogs lie.
Recently, Mr. Imus was nationally syndicated. However, 25 years ago, he was on local radio in New York City. I was living in New York in those days, and never listened to him. I didn’t like his style of humor then.
I don’t like it now. When I am in the New York metropolitan area these days, I listen to WFAN sports talk radio. Mr. Imus’ show is on from 6:00 am to 10:30 am on WFAN. When I get into the car in the morning, if WFAN is still on from the previous day, I tune into another station immediately, because I don’t like Mr. Imus’ show.
After his comments about the Rutgers Women’s Basketball Team, Many people called for Mr. Imus to be removed from the airwaves. As a result, MSNBC TV and CBS radio have cut him loose. I am ambivalent about this. I believe in the power of free speech. I think it is one of the best things about being an American. On the other hand, I don’t feel that it is appropriate for radio and TV personalities to make outrageous and hurtful statements. I’m not sure if Mr. Imus should have been removed from the air – and quite frankly I don’t really care, as I never listen to him.
And that’s the point I would like to make today about personal impact. It’s all about taking personal responsibility for choosing the people with whom you associate. People know you by the type of people with whom you keep company. Just as I choose to not listen to Don Imus, because I don’t like his sense of humor, I also choose not to associate with two kinds of people — gossips and overly negative people.
I do this for two reasons. 1) Associating with gossips and negative people casts me in their light. I don’t want to be known as a gossip or negative person. 2) Gossips and negative people bring me down. I choose to believe the best in people and situations. Gossips and negative people detract from my ability to do so.
The first reason is very important when it comes to personal impact. “People are known by the company they keep”, is an old saying. Old sayings become old sayings because they are repeated often. They are repeated often, because they have some measure of truth to them.
The common sense point here is simple. Pick your friends wisely, because other people are watching what you do and the associates you have – and this has some impact on your personal impact. Associate with straightforward, interesting, non judgmental, positive and constructive people, and others will see you as such. Associate with devious, uninteresting, judgmental, negative and destructive people and others will see you that way.
Sorry for doing a post on Don Imus, a subject that has been really overdone in the media for over a week. However, I did this post because I think that it makes an important point about choosing your friends carefully. No more on Imus, I promise.
That’s it for today. Thanks for reading. Log on to my website www.BudBilanich.com for more common sense. Check out my other blog: www.CommonSenseGuy.com for common sense advice on leading people and running a small business.
I’ll see you around the web, and at Alex’s Lemonade Stand.
Bud
PS: Speaking of Alex’s Lemonade Stand – my fundraising page is still open. Please go to www.FirstGiving.com.TheCommonSenseGuy to read Alex’s inspiring story and to donate if you can.
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