March 15, 2005

ATTITUDE MAKES SUCH A DIFFERENCE

Yesterday I was greeted with an all-too-familiar circumstance at a local retail store. I needed to

find an item of clothing, but the sales ladies were standing and visiting and decided quickly that I was

a bother. Each clerk immediately told me the store didn’t have what I was looking for. Guess what.

You guessed it! I wandered away and within 3-4 minutes found the item myself on an obvious endcap

display.

A week ago, I made a phone call to customer service of a huge appliance manufacturer to ask for a

replacement of a knobs on my new cook top range…the item was still within the warranty period. I

could tell my request irritated the customer service rep on the other end of the phone line, and

after he completed an inordinate amount of quizzing me regarding how the broken knob became

broken, I was confident he blamed me for the 3-month-old knob malfunctioning. He made me feel like

I was a lying, cheating, border-line criminal. Yet, with great reluctance, he agreed to send me a new

knob…which I later learned retailed for a grand total of $8.35.

The attitude of those two service reps made me feel small and insignificant. Yet, as I reflect

back on really who I am, I am their customer and it is my money that enables their companies to

hire them. There’s no need for belittling someone who has an honest need.

Let’s turn to the positive…………shall we?

One wonderful gentleman (notice how I chose the word gentleman?) at my local grocery store has a

great smile…and guess what? He smiles! He smiles a lot! He has something wonderful to say to me

when I come in; inquires about the family; how good it is to see me; etc. Well, I happen to know his

name is ‘Gary” because he wears a nametag. All these years, I’ve grown to look for Gary when I enter

the store. His great attitude of helpfulness is so contagious that I’ve noticed when other store

employees are working around him, they are as happy as he is.

What a compliment to Gary…to anyone! That my positive attitude is honestly affecting my workplace

and specifically, creating a more positive attitude among my colleagues. I want that said about me,

too! “She’s so great to work with. She’s so nice to be around. She exudes positive energy in a

room. Here attitude makes the difference around here.” Don’t you?

Why can’t we have that said about us? I have a signature keynote presentation called Intentional

Living. The basic premise is that we can have a life that we want, but first we have to know what it is

we want…and secondly, we have to focus on doing all we can to make it come about.

With that in mind, let’s do what we can to build the life that we want:

1. Focus on living a life that exudes positive feelings. Smile…develop “friendly talk”..

2. Reduce the cynicism/sarcasm– maybe, get rid of it. You’re not as funny as you think.

3. Find all kinds of ways to creatively encourage others. Look for the good, speak kindly!

A boss asked me one time, “Sue, what is your biggest goal?” I replied, “To change the world, a little

bit at a time.” I still feel that way. Remember the old saying, “Bloom where you are planted”? It

really means that you may never have the perfect circumstances you dreamed of, but in your world

you can “bloom” and create positive joy and beauty right where you are. How do we start?

Begin with an attitude that is grateful, hopeful, and delightful. And get ready for the

pleasurable things that open up before your very eyes.

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