Please & Thank you

I am not sure what is going on in our society but these little things seem to be disappearing. It is amazing how much a "please" and "thank you" will do. In a world that is often "mine, mine, mine" it is easy for most of us to overlook manners sometimes. We are usually in a hurry and it is just one extra little step - but I think it is a VERY important one. I am not Emily Post but the lack of respect I see sometimes really bothers me. We are all just human - regardless of our profession, status, or gender. It is just as important to genuinely thank your boss as it is the bus boy filling up your water glass.

Picture yourself, after a very long and challenging day, walking into a coffee shop for a little pick me up. The person behind the counter looks you in the eye, smiles, and genuinely asks how your day was. You reply with a grumble but the way that person cares makes you feel a bit better - like getting a hug. You thank that person - not only for the coffee but also for the "pick me up". You feel better because someone cares and that person feels better because they can tell they made a difference. Now imagine walking into that same coffee shop and getting a grumbling person behind the counter with an attitude and acts like he/she is being really put out by having to do something for you. What does that do to your day? What does it do to that persons day? It is the little things that can turn your day around and influence the people around you.

So, next time, let that stranger go in front of you in line. Open a door. Say "thank you" and mean it. Make it a goal to make someone else's day better - every day.