[written by someone
else .... I agree to the opinion wholeheartedly]
When I was growing up, one of my mother’s
favourite sayings was ‘honey catches more flies than vinegar.’ To which either
my brother or I would inevitably reply ‘who wants to catch flies.’ Yet despite
our childish derision, her words and their true intent remain with me still
today.
In an age where service seems to be more often an idea rather than reality, it
is all too easy to become justifiably frustrated with the people in our lives
whose role we perceive as being to serve us.
I’m not saying that we shouldn’t expect the best. Of course, we should. But we
should also offer the best of ourselves to those around us. So I’m having a bad
day, or even a bad week or month or year, I’m not going to make it any better
by sharing my misery around.
The other day at the supermarket I decided to try a different approach. I
watched as the checkout assistant became more and more frustrated by the
customers in front of me and line behind me grew longer and longer. When I got
to the front of the line, instead of complaining about the wait, I thanked the
checkout assistant for being so patient with the other customers.
So here is my challenge to you - join me in changing the world one smile at a
time. Smile at a stranger, thank someone who is just doing their job and be
amazed at how the world starts to feel like a better place.
And to get you started – here is your first random smile from me to you :-)
At least I know I’m guilty of this and I’m sure
I’m not alone. Yet how often does expressing frustration result in a better
service and how often does it just result in more frustration, along with a
hefty rise in blood pressure?
I’ve learnt by trial and error, many times
over, that getting upset with someone over bad service, no matter what they do
to fix it, never results in me feeling better about myself.
You should have seen the size of the smile I
got back. Even thinking about it now still makes a big grin sweep across my
face. Suddenly she felt acknowledged, recognized, valued … all the things that
we so sorely need but so rarely receive. Did I get any better service from her
than the people in front of me? Who knows. Did I feel a whole heap better about
my interaction with her? You better believe I did!!! At the heart of this is
our primal need to matter.
The need that, in the time we walk this mortal
path, we lay down lasting tracks that say to future generations ‘I was here and
I made a difference.’ We are all aware of how important inclusion is. How being
the wallflower at a dance, or the person in the corner at a party or the last
one picked for a team can destroy our self-esteem. But recently I heard of a
study that showed even acknowledgement by strangers can change for the better how
we feel about our lives.
Now I am making it my mission to change the
world one smile at a time. It doesn’t take much, just smiling at random
strangers I pass in the street. Saying hello to someone I pass on my morning
walk. Smiling and thanking the person looking after the desk at the gym.
Wishing the lady at the school crossing a great day. Thanking the bus driver as
I jump off the bus. It takes so little effort, but it gives so much back to me.
I feel good because I’m appreciating everything around me and the smiles and
kind words that I get back every so often are an unexpected bonus.
.jpeg)
