When you get up from the table after eating at a restaurant say thank you to the waitress or waiter. When you pay your toll, say hello to the toll taker and ask him or her to have a nice day.
Your thoughtful words can make the day, particularly for a person whose job is repetitive and, at times, boring.
Every day, take time to warmly thank someone whose task is a repetitive task…the person who delivers your newspaper (if you are ever out there early enough to see him or her).
Sometimes we fail to say one of the words or phrases that we tend to repeat quite often throughout the day. We assume the other person knows we are thinking that simple word or phrase. But we have to watch out. If we fail to say thank you, hello, good morning, excuse me, good bye, please, I’m sorry or I love you, when these words are the appropriate words, that other person may NOT assume we are thinking them.
If a thank you is appropriate, no matter how often I have said it to a person, I should say it again. Seldom do you run into a person who doesn’t like to be thanked. And should I fail to say thank you, all I have to do is to return to that person and say it a moment later or a day later.
If good morning is appropriate, I should say it. If excuse me is appropriate when I leave a group, I should say it and if I’m sorry is appropriate, I should say those words too.
As you are probably aware, people with two X chromosomes are sometimes challenged when it comes to saying those last words: “I’m sorry.â€
Below are several words or phrases. In the day ahead ask yourself if you said these words when appropriate or whether you simply assumed the other person knew you were thinking them:
• Good Morning             Â
• I love you
• Hello                             Â
• Please
• Thank you                           Â
• How are you feeling today?
• I’m sorry                       Â
• Have a nice day
• Excuse me                   Â
• Are you feeling better?
• Good-bye                     Â
• You look just great today
Today try to go out of your way to thank someone whose task is repetitive. You may make his or her day.
Bob Hatcher
June 30, 2011