THE BALANCING ACT

Building Balance for Better Living

November 2004

by Brent O'Bannon, MBS

What makes you happy? What’s your answer to this question? I asked the question, "What makes you deeply happy?" to a 9 year old girl in a therapy session and she said, "My parents, getting along with my brother and a dog that licks me a lot". How cute! How balanced! Do you know what makes you deeply happy? Is it when you hug that loved one? Is it when you see the smile on another persons face when you cook for them? Is it when you reel in that flopping fish and take him off the hook? Take time now or today and write on a 3 x 5 card or somewhere what makes YOU happy. Ask a significant other to do the same and share with each other what makes you deeply happy.

Take time to balance your "SELF" by doing the things that make you happy because "YOU" are the number one key to your success!
 

How many times have we heard in business, "The customer is always right"? We have all tightened our muscles and bit our tongue saying to ourselves "Yeah right"! There are two sides of the coin. One side of the coin is "It’s all about ME" and the other side of the coin is "It’s all about YOU". The professional "self" is important in delivering the "goods" to the customer. Being educated, ethical, experienced, effective and enthusiastic. Yet the other side of the coin is also true. It’s all about YOU, the customer.

One of my mentors shared with me that when she was younger she wanted to impress everyone. She was consumed with how she looked, how she sounded, and what people thought about her. Now 25 years wiser she looks into peoples eyes attempting to listen to their soul to make an impact. She focuses on the person and asks herself, "What does this person need from me?" My mentor’s wise words ring true, "It’s not about ME it’s about YOU".

That’s the spirit of customer service whether you call them buyer, consumer, client, patient, prospect or patron. Ask yourself, "What does this customer need from me"?

Try these tips for terrific customer service.

I saw a teenager wearing a T-shirt saying, "I’m immature, unorganized, lazy and loud, but I’m FUN! Now that’s a playful attitude. I can’t help but think that many of us adults have lost the spirit of having fun in our personal and professional lives. Our T-shirt would likely say, "I’m mature, organized, industrious, assertive and I’m BORING!

My friend and author, Darren LaCroix in his book, "Laugh & Get Rich" says "If it’s fun…it gets done!" The light hearted book is packed with ideas to add fun in your personal and professional life. The book gives real life examples how FUN motivates! Adults are just like kids in that they are motivated to do the things that are FUN. All work and no fun make life BORING! If you would like to learn new ways of adding humor, laughs and FUN to your personal and professional life or you want to buy copies for your work place then take a "FUN STEP" and buy "Laugh & Get RICH" at www.brentspeaks.com for only $19.95. You’ll be GLAD you did!

       

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