Radiate

One of the most challenging parts of anyone’s working life when they work in customer or client service is being consistently positive and bright when often they just don’t feel that way. Some days life conspires against you and no matter how hard you try to duck and weave, those curve balls keep hitting you. It’s hard to smile at the customer, your boss, staff or generally anyone unfortunate enough to run into you that day.

Sometimes these days link up and no matter how hard you try, the round shoulders and short legs you have developed from having the world on your shoulders are still not enough to cope.

But then something happens where you are sick of feeling like crap and you wake up one morning and decide that you can cope with this. You start dealing with those curve balls by belting them out of the park or just letting them slide by.

The trouble is that everyone has been tippy toeing around you, asking “are you alright?” to which you have been replying “I’m fine!” or just avoiding you all together. They are looking for signs of improvement before really engaging because they have enough problems of their own to deal with. They don’t need another one.

You decide you want to get back to your old self, they desperately want you back but how do you flick the switch to do it? Its quite simple, you radiate. You smile at everyone, you go out of your way to ask people “how is your day going?” When they ask you, you reply “I’m fantastic”, (their look of shock will be enough to make you smile), basically you over compensate your goodwill output. It sounds corny and at first a bit false but it actually works. People around you start smiling back at you, they laugh with you, they want to engage and tap into the positive energy you are radiating. They actually can’t help it.

In turn you feel better because it is really hard to feel flat when you are surrounded by others who are smiling at and laughing with you.

Sometimes you just need one word, tucked away in your vocabulary, to help you change your mood when you most need it. A word of last resort. Mine is radiate. You can borrow it until you find your own or just keep it if you like. Or you can choose to ignore it.

As always your attitude is yours to choose.