A compliment saved the day
For some unknown reason, I have been very stressed and edgy this past couple of days. I am pretty good at being nice, and helping people out, but I've been feeling very impatient and fed up with stupidity and ignorance. I feel bad saying it, but I've been bitchy to a lot of people.
I came to work with my usual smile stuck on my face. On the inside, I was praying for time to go by faster. But my prayer was futile... time would not move faster! Come on! Seriously??? No customers?... boring!!!
A customer came, filled his tank, then asked me to make him a vinieta (road tax). He had this funny accent, and I thought he was Italian, but he did not look Italian, and did not act like an Italian. while typing his car info into the computer, his friend came in, and started talking in English - British English! I immediately switched to English, and helped them pick some injector cleaning solution, some gasoline booster, and other stuff. I talked to them in English, and it felt good. It made me smile. They left, and my coworker was angry because another customer had to wait for a whole minute to get to pay. I didn't care... just ignored her...
The English guy came back in , and I thought:"man, what did I do wrong? maybe I didn't give him the right change...Oh, man, I'm in trouble!". But i was safe: he had forgotten his keys on the counter, and on the way out he yelled "Your English is perfect!"
i was stunned! I did not expect that one! But you know what? That one compliment changed my mood for the rest of the night. I smiled because I wanted to, and I had patience because I wanted to.
so here I am, in a better mood again, joking and laughing. saved by one compliment!
I think we should learn to accept compliments - realize that we are of worth each and every single one of us - and also to offer them often. I don't think we should yell out whatever compliment just for the sake of it, but to say what we believe, whatever nice thing we notice in others. Who knows? Maybe we will be the ones saving some one's day.
I came to work with my usual smile stuck on my face. On the inside, I was praying for time to go by faster. But my prayer was futile... time would not move faster! Come on! Seriously??? No customers?... boring!!!
A customer came, filled his tank, then asked me to make him a vinieta (road tax). He had this funny accent, and I thought he was Italian, but he did not look Italian, and did not act like an Italian. while typing his car info into the computer, his friend came in, and started talking in English - British English! I immediately switched to English, and helped them pick some injector cleaning solution, some gasoline booster, and other stuff. I talked to them in English, and it felt good. It made me smile. They left, and my coworker was angry because another customer had to wait for a whole minute to get to pay. I didn't care... just ignored her...
The English guy came back in , and I thought:"man, what did I do wrong? maybe I didn't give him the right change...Oh, man, I'm in trouble!". But i was safe: he had forgotten his keys on the counter, and on the way out he yelled "Your English is perfect!"
i was stunned! I did not expect that one! But you know what? That one compliment changed my mood for the rest of the night. I smiled because I wanted to, and I had patience because I wanted to.
so here I am, in a better mood again, joking and laughing. saved by one compliment!
I think we should learn to accept compliments - realize that we are of worth each and every single one of us - and also to offer them often. I don't think we should yell out whatever compliment just for the sake of it, but to say what we believe, whatever nice thing we notice in others. Who knows? Maybe we will be the ones saving some one's day.
a lesson to follow by everybody
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