Mailing Systems Technology - November/December 2008 - (Page 8) Peer to Peer BY MARK FALLON Did You Get Your Cherry on Top? I was having dinner at the Hessen Haus in Des Moines, Iowa last week. The Hessen Haus is a little German restaurant converted from an old railroad depot. They serve authentic German cuisine and a wide variety of beers. The waitresses wear folk dresses and the bartenders know how to make a stranger feel welcome. It’s a great place for a fun night out. But on this evening, there was hardly a soul in the place. Most of the tables were empty and no one was sitting at the bar. It was so quiet, I thought they were closed. I guess even the best places can have an “off ” night. The waitress still greeted our party with the same enthusiasm as if the place was packed. She made a joke about trying to find us a table and if we would mind waiting until one opened up. Her spirit was infectious, and we started trading jokes immediately. Throughout dinner, we learned more about our waitress, and she about us (we were her only table). We talked about other restaurants in town, the local night spots and what we liked about Des Moines. I could tell this woman had a positive attitude about life. When it came time for dessert, she said our choices were a sundae with a cherry on top, or black forest cake. I immediately asked, “What if I want black forest cake with a cherry on top?” With mock horror, she replied that such an order was impossible. Of course, minutes later, I had my cake. With a cherry on top. And our waitress got a tip that was higher than 20%. In his classic book, The Power of Positive Thinking, Norman Vincent Peale taught his readers how to energize their lives and realize their ambitions. A person who believes in themselves can overcome obstacles and take control of their circumstances. Internal change is the surest way to create external change. Using a book from the 1950s to face the problems of the 21st century may seem naïve to some. However, the nature of man has changed little since the beginning of recorded history. Peale himself draws from previous writers, including the authors of the Bible, Ralph Waldo Emerson and William James. Peale’s basic principle that our way of thinking will direct our life’s outcome will never become outdated. A positive attitude has long-term benefits and immediate rewards. My dinner at the Hessen Haus might have been a boring affair if not for the positive attitude of my waitress. I might not have had my dessert the way I wanted if not for my positive response to her good nature. I was thinking about this experience the next weekend when buying flowers for my mother. I spent about an hour at the local nursery wandering around and taking in the beautiful sights and wonderful scents. Roses, day lilies and impatiens were in full bloom. Every step made my already good mood even better. I picked out a dozen yellow roses and brought them to the counter to be put into a bouquet and wrapped. The woman at the counter took my order, selected some greens and started putting the bouquet together. She worked with efficiency, but not with joy. The contrast was striking. How could someone work in this wonderful environment and not enjoy themselves? Of course, the key word in the last sentence is “work.” For the sales clerk, the last hour and the next hour weren’t spent wandering around, but working. And all the flowers in the world weren’t going to change that. But I was still determined to share my positive attitude. What good was all my joy if it couldn’t impact others? What would it take to change her frame of mind? As I watched her create a bow from a strand of ribbon, I was amazed by the dexterity of her hands. Just a few simple movements to create something beautiful. I commented aloud that she made it all look so easy. The sales clerk stopped what she was doing and showed me how she created the bow. I told her that I wasn’t sure my hands could be as quick as hers. She said that it wasn’t easy, at first. It was important not to hold the ribbon too tight, or the bow wouldn’t look right and your hands would tire quickly. With a lot of practice, it would become second nature. Then, she handed me the flowers, thanked me for the purchase and smiled. A smile that was composed of a mixture of pride in her work and appreciation that someone recognized her skills. A brief moment? Maybe. Maybe it was a turning point in her day. Maybe it affected how she interacted with the rest of her customers. All I know is that by sharing my positive attitude, I was able to impact the mood of a complete stranger. And received a smile for my efforts. A smile. A cherry on top of my cake. Small reminders of the big impact that we can have by deciding to have a positive attitude. Mark Fallon is President and CEO of The Berkshire Company. For more information, visit www.berkshirecompany.com. a 8 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2008 | WWW.MAILINGSYSTEMSTECHNOLOGY.COM http://www.berkshirecompany.com http://www.MailingSystemsTechnology.com
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