Send out a cheerful, positive greeting, and most of the time you

The words of Zig Ziglar—“Send out a cheerful, positive greeting, and most of the time you will get back a cheerful, positive greeting. It's also true that if you send out a negative greeting, you will, in most cases, get back a negative greeting.”—are simple in form but profound in their wisdom. They remind us of the ancient law of reciprocity: that the energy we put forth into the world returns to us in kind. Just as an echo answers the voice that calls into the mountains, so too do the hearts of others respond to the spirit with which we address them.

The ancients often spoke of this principle. In the Book of Proverbs it is written, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” This teaching is the very foundation of Ziglar’s insight: that our greeting is not a small thing but a seed, capable of bearing fruit in the soil of another’s spirit. To smile, to speak kindly, to extend warmth, is to invite joy in return; to scowl, to speak sharply, or to radiate bitterness is to summon hostility. In this way, every interaction becomes a mirror, reflecting back to us the tone we have first set.

History, too, bears witness to the power of such beginnings. Consider Abraham Lincoln, who, during the bloody divisions of the American Civil War, was often mocked for greeting even his political enemies with respect and courtesy. When asked why he did not destroy his foes with scorn, he answered, “Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?” His positive greeting, even amid conflict, transformed many adversaries into allies. This was no weakness but strength—the strength to rule his own heart so that he might guide the hearts of others.

Yet Ziglar’s teaching does not ignore the truth of the opposite. He warns that a negative greeting often calls forth negativity in return. Human beings are quick to mirror one another, and anger, suspicion, or disdain spreads like fire when kindled. A sharp word to a servant could ignite rebellion in a household; a sneer at a stranger might provoke violence in the street. Thus, our greetings are not merely courtesies, but forces with power to shape peace or conflict, harmony or discord.

This lesson is not only for the grand stage of history but for the smallest chambers of daily life. In the home, the way a parent greets a child at dawn sets the mood for the day. In the marketplace, the way a merchant receives his customer may win loyalty or breed mistrust. Even in fleeting encounters with strangers, a simple cheerful greeting may be the difference between despair and hope, for we never know what burdens another carries in silence.

The wisdom here is both practical and spiritual: train your lips and heart to begin each encounter with kindness, no matter how small. Though not every greeting will be returned in joy, most will, and even those that are not will leave your own spirit undefiled. For to give warmth is to strengthen yourself, while to give bitterness is to weaken your soul. Thus, Ziglar calls us not only to courtesy but to mastery of the self, for he who controls his greeting controls the tenor of his relationships.

So, dear listener, let this teaching guide your days: greet the world with cheer, with warmth, with a positive spirit. Smile upon strangers, bless your loved ones with kind words, and even in the presence of enemies, let your opening be noble. In doing so, you will find that the world mirrors back what you first offered, and your path will be made lighter, your relationships richer, and your heart more at peace. For in every greeting lies the seed of what is to come—choose wisely which seed you sow.