Don’t Hold Back the Good
Sharing Good News is Important
If you found a gas station selling gas for $1 a gallon, wouldn’t you call your family and friends to tell them? Likewise, if you got a promotion or won the lottery, you’d probably be on the phone with your closest loved ones sharing the good news.
I know bad news is all around us. I’m sure you’d agree that if you watch the news – local or national – that bad news gets reported all the time. I rarely hear the good, and if I do, it’s usually some kind of special award or series that the station is giving out.
I ALSO really believe that goodness and good news are all around us. If we move to focus slightly more on the good, I think our attitude and outlook might change.
Last month, I noticed my tail light on my Odyssey was out. I have no idea how to pop open the covering, so I took it up to the mechanic. I bought a bulb and asked for someone to help me. Seven attendants could not open it. Yes, seven. They partially popped it open, but then warned me that they might break it if they continued. I told them to stop. Then one more attendant who had been working on a different car came over. He took out some special tool (you can see how mechanically-inclined I am), popped open the fixture, changed the bulb, and replaced the covering in less than three minutes.
I decided to let the manager know. I sent in my happy comment via e-mail today. I am hoping that Mario gets some recognition. I am sure that usually those comments are negative. Maybe my goal to focus on the good instead of the negative will pay off for Mario. And hopefully he’ll teach the other mechanics how to change a light bulb!
You can try this, too. Received an unusually helpful waitperson at a restaurant? Let the manager know. Did the pharmacist or barista recognize you and make you feel welcome? Share that good news with their supervisor. I can only imagine the number of times a customer complains about an employee.
I am also trying to do this with my sons’ teachers. I used to teach and my husband still does. I know that as a parent I LOVE getting positive feedback about my children. Now it’s my turn to send some positive feedback to the teachers who are with my children five hours a day. I’m not buying them gifts or anything, just sending short, but sincere, notes to them when I think they did an outstanding job with my children. I think they will appreciate it. I will also remember to include the principal with my good news. I’m sure she hears when a parent thinks a teacher did a bad job.
Okay, I know that a light bulb and some finger painting project is not on par with our global problems. The bad news still seems overpowering. But in my small, Katy corner, this is where I will begin. Will you join me? I’d love to hear how you spread the good news in your area.
