If your face was a welcome mat …

Any competent chef will tell you that we first “eat” with our eyes. If what is served doesn’t look tasty, we won’t want to taste it; but if something looks delicious, we may literally salivate with a desire to try the dish.

The same goes for people wanting to get a “taste” of us. Some people project an appearance of being approachable, while others give off an appearance that you really would not want to interact with them, or doing so would not be welcomed.

The concept is called being “approachable,” and a great understanding of what it means to be seen as approachable comes from a story that involves one of our founding fathers.

During his days as president, Thomas Jefferson and a group of companions were traveling across the country on horseback. They came to a river that had flooded due to a recent downpour. As a result, the swollen river had washed away a bridge. Each rider was forced to forge the river on horseback, which caused a traveler who wasn’t a part of their group to step aside and watch. After several had plunged in and made it to the other side, the stranger asked President Jefferson if he would ferry him across the river.

The president agreed without hesitation.

The man climbed up on the horse behind Jefferson, and shortly thereafter the two of them made it safely to the other side of the river. As the stranger slid off the saddle onto dry ground, one in the group asked him, “Tell me, why did you select the president to ask this favor of?”

The man was shocked, stating he had no idea it was the president who had helped him.

“All I know,” he said, “Is that on some of your faces was written the answer ‘No,’ and on some of them was the answer ‘Yes.’ His was a ‘Yes’ face.”

What kind of face do you have? Is it set to your own thoughts and interests, expressing a “Don’t bother me!” message? Or do you have a “yes” face that encourages others to step into your life?

Scotty