|
Adjust your Attitude
"The greatest discovery of any
generation is that a human being can alter
his life by altering his attitude."
--William James
With the news from the last week or two, I
realize how incredibly lucky I am. I live in
San Antonio, where the economic downturn (or
meltdown or crisis or whatever we are calling
it this hour) has not taken as big a toll as
it has in other parts of the country. I own
my own business, so I have no concerns about
being laid off. I am not wealthy, so
although I'm losing money on the few
investments I have, I'm not losing a lot (I
owe some of that luck to Kevin
Moore, my very
talented financial adviser) and should be
able to weather this storm since I'm
convinced that the market will recover before
I need the money. I'm not living on a fixed
income. I can hustle a bit more and earn a
bit more to cover any increase in expenses.
That said, I could focus on the negative
aspects, but I'd rather not. I've had my own
business for over nine years (stay tuned for
a big 10th anniversary celebration in April
2009) and I've discovered that no one wants
to do business with someone who is negative,
including me. Delivering good customer
service means providing your customers with
positive experiences that make them want to
come back to you.
So what can you do to turn that attitude
around when you are surrounded by bad news?
Here are my suggestions
1. Make a list of the things that are going
right in your life.
While you are making
this list, banish those "well, yes, but it
could be better" thoughts. Spend five
minutes and actually write down everything
that is good about your life, your
relationships, your business, the place you
live, the weather, your health, anything you
can think of to fill out that list. If you
truly cannot think of anything that is
positive, please contact me. I know a number
of counselors who may be able to help.
2. If the news is all negative, avoid it.
You don't have to tune out completely, but
try to go a few days without watching cable
news or listening to talk radio. You will be
surprised at how much calmer you will feel.
Trust me, if the world is about to come to an
end, you will be notified.
3. Find some time to spend with the people
you love.
I just got back from a few
days
with my grandson. At almost two years old, he
has a very different take on life. He loves
cell phones and Sponge Bob and apples (one of
the words he can say clearly). What is
important to him is getting a good nap and
having food when he is hungry. When those
needs are met, the rest is icing on the cake,
isn't it?
4. Think of people who have bigger problems
than you do.
Remember New Orleans.
Remember Galveston. As a teenager, if I
complained about my life, my father would say, "I
cried because I had no shoes until I met a
man who had no feet." This doesn't mean that
your problems are not serious. But
sometimes, focusing on others can give us a
perspective that helps us see our own
situation in a different light.
5. Find something you can do for someone
else.
What restores my soul is
seeing how
people help each other out during disasters
and other crisis situations. Consider
donating what's left of your disposable
income to the American Red
Cross
or go global with
your help and "Fill the
Cup" at the World
Food Programme.
Hang in there, ya'll. We'll get through
this. Adopt that positive attitude and your
customers will keep showing up, even in tough
economic times.
|
