« Job Growth Is Stunted: Is It Time To Bake The Cookies? | Home | Go Ahead…Make a Mountain Out of a Mole Hill Today »
2 Little Words With The Power To Make Us All Go The Extra Mile
By admin | September 12, 2007
This past Saturday my family and I took a day trip to Portland, Oregon. Our son was participating in a regional trading card game tournament. He usually plays in local and regional tournaments that take place in Washington. My husband and I discussed the out-of-state regional tournament and decided our son was a good boy and had ‘earned’ the trip. Plus, he saved his allowance to pay for his entry fee and other cards he may have wanted to purchase.
Our 2 oldest daughters volunteered to come along and support their brother (and shop in Portland—tax free) while our 2 youngest sons did not have a choice. We all piled into the van at 5:00 A.M. and arrived in Portland just before 8:00 A.M. We had breakfast together and made sure our son was registered by 9:00 A.M. He soon located his friends.
And ditched us.
We had to find something to do with ourselves. So we got on the rail system and found Portland’s Saturday Market. We had a great time. Portland has some really creative artists. At noon we all headed back to the tournament to check on our son and get lunch. He was fine. He was 1-1 and had made plans to eat at a nearby restaurant with his friends.
We were ditched again.
Once again we got on the rail system and this time headed to the Lloyd Center Mall for lunch and to window shop. Several hours later, we headed back to the tournament to watch the end of the event. When our son was finished that evening, we headed back to Washington. During the drive back, I asked my son how his day was and he said it was great (he finished 4-3). As I turned to face forward in the van, I heard him thanking his siblings for coming. My husband heard him too because we looked at each other at the same time and smiled.
Later that night before he went to bed, my son came into my room as I was massaging my aching feet. He gave me a hug and said “Thank you for taking me to Portland.” Now, as a mother/parent, I often ‘do what I do’ just because. But, in that moment, I did not know how much I really wanted and/or needed my own personal ‘thank you’ for that day until I received it. Those 8 letters/ 2 words really made it all worth it to (literally) go the extra miles that day.
How about you: is there an employer, employee, client, recruiter, co-worker, vendor, service provider, child, spouse or friend who ‘do what they do’ just because? When was the last time you said ‘Thank you” just because? Try it—and enjoy the results!
P.S.
Portland, Oregon is as extremely hospitable city. I encountered so many strangers smiling and saying hello walking around that I stopped counting after 10. “Thank you,” Portland, Oregon for making my family feel welcome!
Topics: alaska, florida, vendor, washington, co-worker, nevada, texas, new hampshire, wyoming, south dakota, tennessee, client, employee, recruiters, workplace, Inspirational, job seekers, work life balance, work, oregon, portland, thank you, employer, Uncategorized |
Comments
You must be logged in to post a comment.