Promote Yourself!

I flew into the airport in Charlotte, N. C. on my way to conduct some workshops on team building and leadership for a company in Costa Rica. While waiting on my connecting flight i decided to grab a bite to eat in the large food court area in the airport. As I sat there eating I noticed an airport employee moving around the food court cleaning tables and making sure that the area was clean.

  What really caught my attention was the pure presence of this woman. As she cleaned the tables and chairs she was singing...and I mean singing from her heart and soul. She was literally HAPPY at work. As she moved through the area people would lift their heads from there books, phones, or laptops to take notice. It was like a wave of heads popping up.

  After completing my meal I approached the woman and explained to her that I was having a good day but because of her positive attitude and presence that I was having an even better one. I than asked where her attitude came from. She than explained that she decided a long time ago that if your going to go to work every day you might as well be happy. I told her that that was awesome and if more people adopted that attitude they would be more productive and happy.

  I asked the woman her name, she than put her hands on her hips standing proudly and said "Valerie" with the posture of a super hero. I asked Valerie for a hug and she hugged me tight enough to align my spine. Valerie went on to explain to me that her first job in the airport was as a bathroom attendant. I don't know about you but if i woke up every morning knowing that i was going o be in a bathroom all day I am not sure what kind of attitude I would have.

  Valerie's attitude was so amazing that she named her bathroom Valerie's Happy Restroom. Her slogan was "Everyone can always get a seat". She was promoted to the dining area in the airport because her supervisor's knew she would impact more people with that awesome attitude. I had to catch my connecting flight and gave Valerie a hug. She explained to me that she would not be there in two weeks and a I asked Why? She said that there was a company that found out about her attitude and passion for customer service and they offered her the position of director of customer service in their company.

  Chills went up my spine. I said to Valerie that Because of your attitude you have promoted yourself from the Bathroom to the Dining room to the Board Room. That's the power of a great attitude. How will you promote yourself today and every day with your attitude?

Let Go, or Let Grow!

In our lives letting go is sometimes the hardest thing to do. Letting go of relationships that may not be supportive or even destructive. Letting go of possessions out of fear that we may be losing something. More often than not, when you decide to let go of the people or things in your life that aren't supportive, loving, and empowering you are actually setting yourself up to be surrounded with the people and things that you really need.

A good example is having a friend that tells you what you want to hear, and having one that tells you what you need to hear. It's what you need to hear that matters most. Are you someone who wants to keep the peace or find some inner peace in order to make yourself feel more centered, balanced, and empowered.

Who or what do you need to let go of? It's a great idea to sit down and make a let go list and a let grow list. Kind of like the traditional pros and cons list. Make a list of people, things, habits, or attitudes that you need to let go of. Now make a let grow list that has the same things only ones that are supportive and empowering. You'll find that this type of documented reflection will help you to find the answers that you have been seeking.

So, my final questions is; Are you going to Let Go, or Let Grow? It's up to you!

What's Your Face Value?

A smile confuses an approaching frown.

What face do you take with you everyday? Is it one that when people see it they look forward to it or try to avoid it. I am not talking about the physical structure of the face you are born with. I am talking about how you structure your face. What expression do you use most? If you find that most people avoid you or would prefer not to interact with you then you might need to change your face. Not with plastic surgery but with a different expression.


I guess what I am really trying to say is SMILE!!! A smile makes you feel better and makes the people around you feel better. It's not always easy. There are times when you need to Fake It Til You Feel It! But when you develop the habit of smiling more just like laughing regularly you literally signal your brain to release endorphins into your system that are known as the feel good chemical. It's been proven that endorphins are more powerful than heroin. The best part is that it's legal and FREE. Let's face it, there are days when we need to just decompress and take a nap. It is impossible to feel great all the time. That's alright! How about we decide to walk around feeling good at least most of the time.

A smile is infectiuos,

You can catch it like the flu,

Someone smiled at me today,

And I started smiling too.

How infectious are you? Do you inject people with viruses or vitality? I know that I have developed the habit of smiling when I most need it.That is when I start to feel angry or upset with someone or something. I know that if I can smile then I can laugh and that helps me to keep control of my anger or frustration at any given time. You may say that It's not that easy, and you are correct. What habit is easy. It takes focus, practice, and commitment. The more you focus on it and stay committed to it, the easier it gets.

Just think how it feels the next time that you see someone coming towards you that may have an expression on their face that is less than open and inviting. Those are the same feelings and signals that you send if you are using the same expression. I know one thing about life. The older I get the more I realize that my thoughts, expressions, and feelings are all really dependent on what I decide they should be, and not what others or the environment decides they should be.

You will be a much more effective communicator and a whole lot happier if you just get in the habit of SMILING. What's your face worth?