I hate it when people don’t use their turn signals. I hate it when people don’t return their phone calls. I hate it when people waste my time. I hate it when (you fill in the blank).

Ever hear people use the “I hate it when people…” line? Well, if your experience is anything like mine, you hear it all the time.

What’s funny about this is that these people who so adamantly “hate” some sort of behavior, are often guilty of the same behavior.

Those who hate it when people don’t say thank you, don’t say thank you. Those who hate it when people mooch, mooch. Those who hate it when people babble, babble. You get the point.

I wonder if these people ever recognize their own hypocrisy. Of course, we see it clearly. But do they?

I also wonder if they realize how close they are to discovering one of the most powerful secrets for improving our personal relationships. And that’s this…

If we hate something people do, odds are, we’re guilty of it as well. And if we would spend less time talking about how we “hate” a certain type of behavior and more time trying not to engage in that behavior, many of our relationships would take a magical turn.

Do you hate it when people don’t follow up with you? Then make it a point to follow up with others.

Do you hate it when people cut you off in traffic? Then don’t cut others off in traffic.

Do you hate it when people don’t say thank you? Then make it a point to always say thank you.

Sounds simple and it is. But don’t let that fool you. Make this a habit and you’ll be amazed at the results.

Still, I doubt many will give it a try because most people think this only applies to other people. Of course, I hate it when people think that.