Good News Only

About six months ago, I started answering my cell phone by saying, “Good news only!”

I’m not sure why I started doing that (I admit I’ve always been a fan of the Chaka Khan song Tell Me Something Good), but I thought I’d start the conversation requesting something good.

I get all kinds of reactions from callers!

Some people laugh right off the bat.

Some people say, “I got nothing, I don’t have any good news,” and they hang up.

Others say, “I think I reached the wrong number. I was trying to reach Dr. Dave.”

In any event, I’ve noticed over time that the friends of mine who call regularly not only start out by laughing when I say that because they enjoy it, but they do tell me something good.

They have some good news that they share or at least they think about what is going well in their lives.

Although this originally started out as a private joke, I think that when we do things a little differently, people respond differently in kind.

My greeting rewires their circuits a little bit right off the bat. And it’s also a fun way to start a conversation.

I’m not suggesting, by the way, that you start answering your phone that way. I am making the point that it’s interesting when we do something a little different that people are often delighted that something unexpected occurred instead of the same old same old.

In my case, it is fun for me now, as people have gotten accustomed to my greeting, to hear the good news they are ready to share.

If you feel like stealing it, you might start getting more good news in your life, too!

Question: What can you switch up in your life that can encourage others to share good news?