Kindness Goes a Long Way

Today I completed my first full day at my new job. Wow does it feel great to say that... I have a job!

I will be involved in several different training activities over the course of the next two weeks. I am looking forward to absorbing as much as I can in order to hit the ground running in my new position. I know I have a lot to learn and am going to take advantage of every opportunity to ask questions, learn from other associates and use their feedback to become the best I can possibly be.

I spent most of my time today behind the cash register learning how to complete sales transactions. I am rather good at adapting to computer software so learning how to perform the transaction processes went really smooth. However, I found that adapting to each individual customer's demeanor proved to be much more difficult.

I believe that I have always been a very kind person, and I think that it shows through my interaction with others. My personality should help me when I deal with customers, but I learned through today's experience that I need to adjust my level of intensity to fit each customer's current mood.

For example, there was one man who approached the counter with a rather ominous energy radiating from his body language. As I belted out my usual "How are you doing today?', he immediately said, "Horrible... absolutely horrible." I have been training myself to be positive no matter what the circumstance and tried to convince him that things are not actually that bad. I wanted him to see a brighter side, but I think my positive attitude may have made him more upset.

Throughout the entire day, I came in contact with a very diverse assortment of people. Some of the customers were in a rush, some wanted to chat, some were very spacey and others were just plain rude. I will need to accept that people will all carry their own types of attitudes and outlooks in order to be successful at my new job. I plan to stay true to my own positive style, but I also plan on looking to recognize how I can best adapt my attitude for each individual interaction.

Although some people seemed angry and rude, I was very pleased to exchange smiles with many others that were kind, gentle and patient. Since it was my first day, I definitely had to make a few customers wait a little longer than normal. I was glad that certain people were able to understand the situation, and I am so thankful for their empathy and encouragement. It was truly refreshing to come across those people helping me to stay focused and keep going strong in my training. Because of their unselfish behavior, I was able to feed off of their energy and effectively work through the day's challenges.

I would like to end with a huge thank you to all the kind, gentle and patient strangers that truly brightened my day. I will definitely use their spirited actions as inspiration for my own life. It really reinforced how we can use blessed outward expression to make the world a better place for all.
_________________________
Colossians 3:12
Therefore as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.