Experience the power a handshake. I don’t mean an, “Oh, it’s nice to meet you” handshake. I don’t mean an, “It’s good to see you again” handshake. I’m speaking of a real, honest handshake that says that you are giving your bond to the person shaking your hand.
It is the kind of handshake that tells each person that the other is bound by the verbal statement preceding the handshake. This kind of handshake requires no signed document because this kind of handshake is stronger and more powerful than any piece of signed paper could ever be. I remember being taught as a child, to look into the person’s eyes as I shook his or her hand.
I was told to have a meaningful grip, not an, “I am stronger than you are” grip or an “I am weaker than you are” grip. I was to offer my hand in a way that was honest and interested and meaningful. Where have these handshakes gone? Why has the knowledge that a “Man’s word is as good as his bond” evaporated in today’s world?
Maybe we have to take a chance or two to bring this poignant symbol back into our lives. I have taken quite a few chances over the years and the ones that were sealed with this kind of handshake were the most powerful, reliable and trustworthy promises.
Maybe it’s time to teach, HANDSHAKE 101 to our children.
