What I Learned from the People in Tennessee

With hurricane Irma coming and threatening South Florida, my family and some friends traveled to Pigeon Forge, TN to escape the impending storm.

We rented a beautiful cabin in the Smokey Mountains and decided to make the best of the situation by looking at our time away as an impromptu vacation. Our houses and businesses were buttoned up and there wasn’t much more for us to do but pray that no one would get hurt if the storm hit, and there was no damage.

Joe Torre, Hall of Fame baseball player and manager says, “Focus on what you can control, and not what you can’t.” We had no control on what Irma was going to do but we did prepare for the worst, and we made a plan to get out safely.

So, we are in Tennessee for a few days and was completely struck by the beauty of the Smokey Mountains, the awesome places to run (up very, very steep hills that made me gasp for air when I got to the top), and how nice the people are!

While visiting a place to drive go karts, I was buying my daughter and me a drink. The lady behind the counter was super to deal with. She was happy, had a big ole smile on her face, and she embodied everything you think of when you think of “Southern Hospitality”.

She made it a point to tell my daughter that her slushy was filled to the top and politely warned her to be careful when putting her straw in. She asked me how much ice I wanted in my Diet Coke, and then warmly suggested that I put my straw in carefully so I don’t spill it.

Then she wished us a great day and safe travels. You could tell that she genuinely loved her job.

Now some people may think that being a cashier at a small amusement park may be a meager job that doesn’t really matter. Those people would be dead wrong, and complete idiots if you ask me.

Both my buddy and I thought she was awesome, and she genuinely made buying a couple drinks a super pleasurable experience.

Did she love serving drinks and selling tickets to the amusement part? I don’t know. Maybe, and maybe not. But you could tell for sure that she loved people and wanted to make everyone feel great! And did she ever!

There were countless other times when people greeted us with a big smile, offered to take our picture when we saw a cool landmark, or were just walking by and said hello. You didn’t see that many people with their faces buried in their phones.
Kind of like the good ole days! 😊

This trip reminded me how important it is to make other people feel great. It reminded me to find pleasure in everything you do. Maybe you love your job, and if you do, that’s great!

But if you are not in love with what you do, then maybe you can be in love with who you do the job for. Maybe you love the people you work with!

Perhaps, you love the results that are created in your work. I know people that don’t love what they do, but they love that they can raise money for people in need.

I know speakers that don’t love getting on planes, living out of a suitcase, and being away from their families. What they do love is the impact they can make on their audiences, and they love knowing those people will get better results in their lives because of that seminar.

So, in the end, be a person of excellence. Do everything you can to the best of your ability. Find a purpose in what you do, and do it with a smile. Do it in a positive, friendly way that makes other people better off for engaging with you that day.

Be the rising tides that lifts all boats! Show appreciation to your family, friends, and customers. When you appreciate others, you appreciate as well!
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Thank you for being a part of the Elite Force family!