contracts

thinking about the communication contracts that i engage in on a regular basis has made me realize that i should really incorporate a lot more entertainment into my messages. over the past few days, spending time with family and friends, i found myself trying to persuade a lot of people to live more healthy lives and to treat the environment better. some people were very open to my comments and attempts to persuade them, but they were mainly those who already take part in environmentally friendly actions and live pretty healthy lifestyles. so, in those conversations i felt like i was just reaffirming their beliefs and giving them more ways to continue their behaviors. for those who are less involved in these areas, i found myself getting frustrated after talking for a while and it seeming like they were just nodding along waiting for me to finish so they could change the subject... i kept wishing i could show these folks a few videos that would back up my points; to show them it's not just me but also people everywhere who are trying to convince their loved ones to change their habits! the videos i've found out there that spread healthy living and environmental consciousness use humor and sarcasm to grab attention, and then continue on with facts after people are open to the speaker. putting a smile on someone's face really opens their mind to whatever might come next. i want to work on finding ways to open people up without necessarily using videos though, because i think it can make the message i'm trying to get across too impersonal when i'm in a smaller setting... maybe coming up with a few basic jokes on the topics just to grab attention without degrading people's intelligence on the topics could work...