Tabitha worked in the women’s clothing department of a prestigious national chain store. One day her department manager told her she was to report immediately to the general manager of the whole store. Wondering what she might have done wrong to merit such drastic action, she approached Mr. Buckworth’s office with some trepidation. As it turned out, she was called before the head honcho because of a letter he had received from a regular customer. The letter commended Tabitha for her always-cheerful disposition and superior customer service. The general manager thanked her personally the great job she was doing and gave her a substantial raise on the spot. To put it mildly, it made Tabitha’s day.
Writing letters of commendation for being served well – or for any commendable act observed in another – is well worth the effort. Letters of complaint are sometimes appropriate, but letters expressing appreciation and gratitude are not only more fun to write, they often really make another’s day. A pat on the back is generally easy to do and can have a significantly positive effect on another’s life.
To be sure, our world is wrought with too much negativity. Cultivating a positive attitude and acting it out in concrete ways not only makes the world a better place it which to live, it makes it a whole lot more pleasant to live inside one’s own skin.
