Ever seen such a bold, orange entrance?

It belongs to a house in my ‘hood. It’s crafted with great thought and care. It’s creative and the wooden front door is beautiful.

It makes an impression… but is it the impression they’d want?

Rather than feeling welcomed, I feel strangely uneasy whenever I walk by.

As Maya Angelou said:

“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

When your next opportunity to make a first impression comes around, do take care of your appearance. Do stand tall and strong. And do think about how you want to make them feel.

It’s normal to feel a bit nervous when we first meet someone, but there’s no reason why you can’t:

• Bring your warmth: flash a warm smile and make eye contact
• Be present: give them your full attention, even if only for a brief time
• Be genuinely curious: to get to know more about them.

And notice how good it makes you feel too.