I smiled all day! At people I could see, at people on the phone, at people on my monitor, at my headset, even at the bathroom door! I want to capture this feeling and save it for a day when I feel like throwing things at all of the above.
This is the power of gratitude!
I got to work a little after 7am, and scanned my emails before dialing into my 7:30 call. I only had time to read a few, and even less time to respond to any. Of the three I read, one started with "Thank you" in the subject. Thank you notes are so special, they always make the priority list. It was no ordinary thank you note. Written by one of my toughest clients, it elevated my spirit and I knew that no matter what happened, nothing could ruin my day today. With 4 back-to-back calls, no time for breakfast, and just a few minutes to get coffee, reading that email every time a tough moment was about to arrive just made everything easier.
A couple of years ago, I received a similar email. It blew me away, and I think I fell from my chair. My ridiculous but genuine response was, "believe it or not, I am speechless". I didn't just save this email, I created a special folder for it.
My response today was genuine but slightly more polished. I didn't create a folder for it, or add it to my Love Letters folder. I left it in my inbox as an unread email. Now I see it every time I go over my unread emails.
I will wake up tomorrow and think about this. And tomorrow, I will wish two very amazing women a Happy Birthday! A friend whose passion for volunteering brought us together, and whose wit, charm, and compassion kept me wanting to be a part of her life. She was also my SQL accountability partner, amongst other things, and I know I wouldn't have made it without her. I will celebrate the birthday of my niece, whose intelligence, talent, perseverance and can-do attitude will inspire many others. She is an amazing young woman who is doing great things, and I can't wait to celebrate her future successes!
Still smiling :)
